Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Prelaunch Static Fire at Cape Canaveral

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on its launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during a prelaunch static fire test on Thursday night, creating a giant fireball that engulfed Launch Complex 36 at 9 p.m. EDT (0100 UTC).

“The rocket was destroyed in the blast within 14 seconds of the test launch, sending an enormous fireball high into the sky”

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Jeff Bezos wrote on social media, "All personnel are accounted for and safe," adding, "It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it," as the company said the engines appeared to be igniting for the test.

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Spaceflight Now reported the rocket was slated to launch a batch of satellites for Amazon Leo as soon as Thursday, June 4, and said the Amazon Leo satellites had not been transported to the launch site from its payload processing facility to be integrated with the rocket.

The incident followed a prior New Glenn problem in which the FAA said the final mishap report identified the direct cause as a cryogenic leak that froze a hydraulic line and led to a thrust anomaly during the second stage engine burn.

Space Launch Delta 45 said the Eastern Range remains fully mission capable and that the range supports developmental systems and emerging technologies, noting that testing carries inherent risk, including the potential for anomalies.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement that "Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult," and that NASA would work with partners to support a thorough investigation and assess near-term mission impacts.

In a separate post, Bezos said, "Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it," while Blue Origin also told the public it was too early to know the root cause.

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Local authorities said there were no reported injuries, and Sheriff Wayne Ivey said there was "no danger or threat to the community" as the contained fire was expected to burn itself out.

The Federal Aviation Administration told CNBC that the test was "not within the scope of FAA licensed activities" and that there was "no impact to air traffic," while the Space Force warned residents not to handle any debris that might wash up on area beaches.

Elon Musk responded on X with, "Sorry to see this, I hope you recover quickly," as Blue Origin warned that debris could wash ashore in the coming days or weeks and told people not to touch or approach it.

The explosion raised questions about timing for Blue Origin’s role in NASA’s Artemis and Moon Base plans, with Spaceflight Now noting NASA is heavily relying on Blue Origin and New Glenn to support the Artemis Program and its Moon Base ambitions.

Spaceflight Now said Blue Moon Mark 1 was selected for a lunar terrain vehicle delivery, and that Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 crewed lander was also selected for the Human Landing System program, with both vehicles intended to dock with the Orion spacecraft on future Artemis missions.

Florida Today quoted Greg Autry saying, "It will be determined by the damage to the pad infrastructure," and warned that if key pad components were not repairable, it could create a real problem for launching New Glenn rockets.

Spaceflight Now reported that if the issue is connected back to the main propulsion system and the rocket’s methane-fueled BE-4 engines, it might have a direct impact on United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rockets, which also use the BE-4 engine for their first stages.

CNBC said Amazon’s satellites were never integrated with the New Glenn rocket and remain secure at its nearby processing facility, while Amazon said its Leo launch plans remain unchanged as it continues deploying satellites while New Glenn returns to flight.