Blue Origin is investigating the cause of an explosion of its New Glenn rocket that experienced an anomaly during ground testing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The accident happened during a so-called hot fire test of the rocket ahead of a planned launch later this week at Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 36. Shortly after 9:00 p.m. Thursday, the rocket exploded creating a massive fireball. Blue Origin says all personnel have been accounted for and there were no injuries.
The explosion was so large it could be seen in parts of Central Florida, according to social media posts.
video via nasaspaceflight.com Facebook post
The Space Force says debris from the explosion could wash ashore along public beaches. The debris could be hazardous and should be reported by calling 911.
New Glenn rockets stand over 300 feet tall and the first stage uses methane and liquid oxygen as a propellant. The rocket system has launched successfully twice, first in November 2025 and most recently last month.
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos called the incident a “very rough day” and said the company is committed to figuring out what went wrong and getting back to flying.
It’s unclear just how much damage was done to the launch pad and facility and how quickly Blue Origin might get back to flying.
“Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult,” said NASA administrator Jared Isaacman. “We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets.”
The company is a critical partner in NASA’s plans to return to the moon. Earlier this week, the agency unveiled new plans to establish a permanent base on the moon. Blue Origin plays a large role in that plan.
“We will provide information on any impacts to the Artemis and Moon Base programs as it becomes available,” said Isaacman.
