Jeff Bezos Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket explodes during Florida test
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a hotfire test at the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, marking a major setback for Jeff Bezos’ space company. Officials confirmed that no injuries were reported and all personnel were safely accounted for after the incident.
Videos from the site showed smoke emerging from beneath the 98-metre-tall rocket before it erupted into a massive fireball during testing. Blue Origin described the incident as an “anomaly” and said further updates would be shared after an investigation.
Jeff Bezos said it was too early to determine the root cause of the explosion but assured that the company would rebuild and continue its space missions. Rival SpaceX founder Elon Musk also reacted to the incident, calling it “most unfortunate.”
Florida Congressman Mike Haridopolos said he had spoken with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman following the explosion. Isaacman noted that spaceflight development remains extremely challenging and confirmed that NASA would support the investigation into the mishap.
The New Glenn rocket is central to Blue Origin’s long-term space ambitions and NASA’s Artemis lunar mission partnership. The incident comes weeks after the rocket failed to place a communications satellite into the correct orbit during a previous mission, which had also triggered an FAA investigation.
