For years, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin operated under the radar, overshadowed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Recently, Blue Origin was catching up, moving closer to regularly launching its massive rocket, New Glenn. This rocket was expected to provide significant capacity for launching satellites and equipment into space.
Blue Origin received a boost this week from NASA, which had increased the company’s role in the Artemis moon mission. Additionally, Amazon had 48 of its satellites prepared to launch, as the company competed with Starlink.
However, on Thursday around 9 p.m., a setback occurred. New Glenn exploded on its launchpad during a test. Chad Anderson, a start-up investor at Space Capital, described this as a significant setback for Blue Origin.
This is a big, collective gasp and setback.
The explosion will impact Blue Origin and its partners, including Amazon and NASA. Meanwhile, SpaceX is nearing a high-profile public offering, potentially valuing it at over $1.25 trillion.
Had New Glenn exploded mid-air, the situation might be considered routine. However, the damage inflicted on the launchpad was extensive. At least one major steel structure was destroyed, with uncertainty around the condition of the hydraulics and fueling systems that are crucial to the launch operation.