Blue Origin rocket explodes ahead of satellite launch
Blue Origin said all personnel were accounted for after the hot-fire test blast, and officials reported no injuries or threat to the public.
- On Thursday, May 28, 2026, a 320-foot New Glenn rocket exploded at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during a "hotfire test" around 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Blue Origin confirmed there were no injuries from the incident.
- Owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the vehicle was preparing to launch 48 Amazon Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit. The rocket is named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth.
- Video of the event showed a massive fireball at Launch Complex 36, briefly painting the sky orange. The explosion shook nearby homes and was visible from the beach.
- "We experienced an anomaly during today's hotfire test," Blue Origin stated, while Bezos wrote that "it's too early to know the root cause" and promised to "rebuild whatever needs rebuilding."
- Emergency officials reported no threat from fumes or other hazards following the blast. The massive rocket was previously grounded in April after an engine failure left a satellite in the wrong orbit.
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Blue Origin rocket explodes during test, setback for bid to catch Musk ...
‘Rockets are hard’: Musk responds after spectacular Blue Origin rocket launch pad explosion
Elon Musk’s potential competition in reusable rockets went up in flames Thursday night after a magnificent explosion on the launch pad. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which is backed by Jeff Bezos, exploded Thursday night during a hot-fire test at a Space Force launch facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida — a hot-fire test involves firing the rocket engines while the unit is secured to the launch pad. Musk, who heads up SpaceX, responded to the m…
Jeff Bezos admits to 'very rough day' as Blue Origin rocket explodes days after new NASA contract
A rocket belonging to Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin exploded during a test at the launch pad Thursday night, shaking nearby homes and briefly painting the sky orange. Blue Origin said its New Glenn rocket exploded during an engine-firing test being conducted ahead of a satellite launch planned for next week. No one was hurt, according to officials at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working t…
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