Blue Origin Rocket Explodes on Launch Pad During Engine-Firing Test

Cape Canaveral: A Blue Origin rocket exploded during a test on the launch pad Thursday night, shaking nearby homes and briefly painting the sky orange.

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin says its New Glenn rocket exploded during an engine ignition test. The company said all staff were accounted for through X.

Emergency officials said there was no threat from smoke or other potential hazards.

The massive New Glenn was grounded in April after engine failure left a satellite in the wrong orbit. This was only the third flight of the rocket, which Blue Origin plans to use to launch lunar landers for NASA.

As homes shook in nearby Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach around 9 p.m., residents took to social media to wonder what was happening. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex is visible from 36 beaches, and the internet is quickly filling up with photos of an orange fireball.

“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hot fire testing,” Blue Origin said in a brief statement. “We will provide updates as we learn more.”

New Glenn first emerged from Cape Canaveral in 2025. It is named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth.