Rocket explosion is bad news for both Bezos and NASA
The magnitude of the blast caused significant damage not only to the spacecraft but the launch pad
THE uncrewed Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket turns into a fireball after exploding during a test on a launchpad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on 28 May 2026.
PHOTOGRAPH Courtesy of NASASpaceflight.com/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Space exploration is filled with setbacks, but the spectacular explosion of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket on Thursday night marked a significant blow to not only the company, which was founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, but also National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), with the two collaborating for the upcoming US Moon missions.
“Spaceflight is unforgiving,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a post on X soon after the explosion, promising to “support a thorough investigation of this anomaly,” which happened during a ground test and resulted in no injuries.
The rocket — which stands 98 meters tall and is the most powerful in Blue Origin’s fleet — exploded around 9p.m. local time Thursday.
It was undergoing a ground test in Cape Canaveral, Florida in preparation of an upcoming flight when it blew up in a massive fireball, sending shockwaves throughout the space industry.
While anomalies during ground tests are relatively frequent, such explosions are rare, and the magnitude of the blast caused significant damage not only to the spacecraft but the launch pad itself, according to photos of the aftermath released Friday.
“It will take some time to rebuild their pad,” Florida Congressman Mike Haridopolos, whose district includes Cape Canaveral, told broadcaster Fox News on Friday.
Blue Origin declined an Agence France-Presse (afp) request for additional details on the incident, extent of damage or the ongoing investigation, which is conducted alongside NASA and the US Space Force.
The New Glenn rocket will remain grounded while the investigation is conducted.
Moon Mission
The vessel is at the heart of Blue Origin’s ambition and NASA’s Artemis lunar program, and could have implications for the company’s role going forward.
“I have no doubt they will recover but I’m wondering how does this affect Artemis,” Clayton Swope, deputy director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told AFP.
NASA has also tasked rival space exploration company SpaceX to develop lunar landers for transporting astronauts and equipment to the surface of the Moon to establish a base.
SpaceX has seen its own challenges in recent months, and Blue Origin had emerged as a promising alternative for NASA, with the US space agency awarding a new contract to it for the lunar mission earlier this week.