Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Test, Damaging Launch Pad

Blue Origin is currently evaluating the damage to its launch pad after a significant explosion occurred during a test firing of its New Glenn rocket. The event, which resulted in a massive orange fireball visible from miles away, happened at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The company had fueled the New Glenn rocket in preparation for a brief engine ignition as a precursor to a planned satellite launch.

The New Glenn rocket, measuring 321 feet (98 meters), exploded and caused substantial damage to the launch pad. Emergency officials have issued warnings to the public to steer clear of any debris that might reach the shore, advising people to contact 911 instead.

The New Glenn rocket, named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, is intended to deliver lunar landers as part of NASA’s Artemis program. This program aims to establish a base near the moon’s south pole and anticipates its first moonwalkers by 2028. Recently, NASA awarded Blue Origin a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars to aid in these efforts.

Notably, the rocket did not carry any of the 48 Amazon Leo satellites during the explosion. These satellites are part of a competitive effort to provide internet services in remote areas, rivaling SpaceX’s Starlink. More Amazon Leo satellites are stationed for launch at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Following the explosion, SpaceX successfully launched a batch of Starlink satellites, showcasing the operational flexibility of CEO Elon Musk and his team. Currently, SpaceX has two active launch pads in Florida, one at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and another at the Space Force side.

Blue Origin, in contrast, operates a single pad in Florida. Its smaller New Shepard rockets, known for brief journeys into space carrying tourists and experiments, have paused flights since January. This pause was to allow Blue Origin to focus on the New Glenn program and planned lunar missions. These plans are now delayed pending an investigation into the recent explosion.