Blue Origin rocket explodes during test at Cape Canaveral launch pad
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded during a static fire test at Cape Canaveral, sending a massive fireball into the night sky and damaging launch infrastructure.
(NBC)- A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded during a static fire test at Cape Canaveral, sending a massive fireball into the night sky and damaging launch infrastructure.
Video captured from multiple angles showed the explosion erupting from the launch pad, with witnesses reacting in shock as flames and smoke filled the air. The blast was so large it could reportedly be seen from an aircraft flying overhead. No injuries were reported, but the explosion destroyed one of the launch pad towers and rattled nearby communities. Doorbell camera footage captured the night sky glowing orange as the shockwave moved through the area.
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos said all personnel were safe and that the company is working to determine what caused the explosion.
In a statement posted overnight, Bezos called it a “very rough day” but pledged that the company would rebuild and return to flight operations.
The setback comes at a critical time for Blue Origin and NASA’s lunar exploration plans. NASA recently awarded Blue Origin a contract to deliver rovers to the moon using New Glenn rockets as part of future lunar missions.
Earlier this week, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman highlighted the agency’s ambitious goals for future moon exploration.
“In this Moon Base endeavor, we certainly hope to be breaking records on nearly every mission,” Isaacman said.
Following the explosion, Isaacman acknowledged the challenges of spaceflight, writing that developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. NASA has said it will provide updates on any potential impacts to the Artemis program and future moon base initiatives. Blue Origin had been expected to play a significant role in upcoming phases of Artemis, which aims to return American astronauts to the moon within the next several years.
For now, investigators are working to determine what caused the explosion as recovery efforts continue at the launch site.
