A Blue Origin rocket exploded on the pad last night during an engine test at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The 320-foot New Glenn rocket was undergoing an engine “hot fire test” at Launch Complex 36 when it exploded on the pad about 9 p.m. Thursday, May 28. There were no injuries or fatalities, and no threat to the general public, officials announced.
Blue Origin officials posted a brief statement on X following the explosion: “We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test. All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”
Blue Origin is owned by billionaire and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who founded the private aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company in 2000.
See video of Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explosionWhat did Jeff Bezos say about Blue Origin explosion?
Bezos posted a message to X an hour after the explosion, writing: “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it. Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”