A rocket developed by Blue Origin exploded during a test at its Florida launch facility, sending a huge fireball into the air and prompting an investigation into the cause of the incident.
The explosion occurred at about 21:00 local time at Cape Canaveral during a hotfire test ahead of a planned launch. Dramatic footage showed the rocket erupting into flames and engulfing the surrounding area.
In a statement posted on social media, Blue Origin said it had “experienced an anomaly” during the test and confirmed that all personnel had been accounted for.
Blue Origin founder and Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos later said everyone involved was safe.
“It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it,” he said. “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
Local authorities said there was no threat to the public. Brevard County Emergency Management confirmed the incident posed no danger beyond the launch site.
The United States Space Force said emergency responders were at the scene and that officials were working with Blue Origin to assess available data and determine the exact cause of the anomaly.
The explosion happened during testing ahead of an upcoming mission, dealing another setback to the company’s efforts to expand its launch capabilities.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the challenge of developing new launch systems and pledged support for the investigation.
“Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets,” he said on X.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of the incident but noted that the test did not fall within the scope of FAA-licensed activities.
“This test was not within the scope of FAA licensed activities,” the agency said, adding that there was no impact on air traffic.
The incident comes weeks after Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket programme faced scrutiny following a failed satellite mission. The company attempted to place a satellite for AST SpaceMobile into orbit but was unable to achieve the intended orbital position.
Despite recent setbacks, Blue Origin successfully launched a New Glenn rocket from Florida last November and landed its reusable booster for the first time, marking a significant milestone for the company founded by Bezos in 2000.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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