Blue Origin rocket explodes into GIANT fireball on launch pad during test at Cape Canaveral in Florida

The Blue Origin rocket that will launch satellites into space exploded into a giant fireball during a routine test, an event that founder Jeff Bezos lamented was a “rough day.”

The New Glenn rocket was undergoing a ‘fire test’ at Launch Pad 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at around 9pm when it suddenly burst into flames. Florida Today reports.

Shocking images from the scene showed the test started normally, with the launch pad on fire and smoke billowing from the engines.

However, soon the bottom of the spacecraft exploded and turned into a fireball, which quickly destroyed the entire rocket and then the entire launch pad.

The explosion sent a massive fireball stretching into the sky, showering debris and sparks flying ashore.

Around the same time, Space Coast residents called on local officials to report explosion sounds, Florida Today reported; Officers in nearby Cocoa Beach received at least three calls.

Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the explosion, and Brevard County Emergency Management officials said there was no threat to the public.

In a brief statement, Blue Origin officials said the company ‘experienced an anomaly during today’s hot fire testing.’

‘The company said all staff had been counted, adding that it would continue to “provide updates as we learn more.”

Other launches scheduled for Friday from Cape Canaveral are expected to be unaffected.

The explosion sent a giant fireball stretching into the sky

Hot fire or static fire testing is supposed to check fueled rockets to ensure everything goes smoothly on launch day.

Space Force’s Space Launch Vehicle Delta 45 said officials were working with Blue Origin and ‘appropriate partners’ to determine what could have caused the explosion.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Blue Origin, also shared an online post saying, “It is too early to know the root cause, but we are already working to find it.”

‘It’s a very difficult day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and we’ll get back to flying,’ he vowed to X. ‘It’s worth it.’

The rocket destroyed Thursday night was the third New Glenn rocket, named after John Glenn, the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth. It was produced at the company’s factory on nearby Merritt Island.

Filled with fuel, the 320-meter-long rocket was subjected to hot fire or static fire testing on Thursday to ensure everything goes smoothly on launch day.

48 Amazon Leo broadband satellites were expected to be launched into low Earth orbit soon.

Blue Origin has not announced a target launch date for the mission, but the rocket was scheduled to launch as early as June 4, according to a Federal Aviation Administration operations plan recommendation.

The agency cleared the heavy-lift rocket for the mission last week after a different problem on its third flight; In this problem, the upper stage was unable to place its payload into the correct orbit due to the failure of one of its two engines. According to the Orlando Sentinel.

After the explosion, sparks were seen raining down on the launch pad.

Space Coast residents called on local authorities to report explosions; officers in nearby Cocoa Beach responded to at least three calls

The planned launch will be the first of 24 such missions, and Blue Origin CEO Jeff Limp stated earlier this year that his goal was to fly at least eight missions in 2026 alone.

After the only launch pad Blue Origin had for its New Glenn rockets was severely damaged, it’s unclear how the rocket explosion will now affect those plans. According to the New York Times.

Repairs will likely take months to complete.

The rocket failure will also impact NASA’s goal of taking astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface; because Blue Origin is one of the two companies the agency hired for the task.

His plan relies on multiple launches of New Glenn to land on the moon.

The 320-meter-tall New Glenn rocket was expected to launch 48 Amazon Leo broadband satellites into low Earth orbit soon.

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos vowed to ‘rebuild everything that needs rebuilding and get back to flying’ in a post on X

New NASA administrator Jared Isaacman vows to work with Blue Origin on its investigation

Under plans for the Artemis III mission, scheduled to launch next year, NASA astronauts would practice docking Orion capsules with landers from both Blue Origin and rival SpaceX while remaining in orbit.

However, with the destruction of the launch pad, Blue Origin may not be able to participate.

A smaller Blue Origin robotic lunar lander, known as Blue Moon Mark I, is also scheduled to launch on a New Glenn rocket later this year.

On Tuesday, NASA also announced a contract with Blue Origin for two New Glenn rockets to take rovers to the moon in 2028 for astronauts to use during the Artemis IV and Artemis V moon missions.

New NASA administrator Jared Isaacman has promised to work with Blue Origin on its investigation.

He wrote in X: ‘Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy payload launch capabilities is extraordinarily difficult. We will work with our partners to support a comprehensive investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and return to rocket launches.

‘We will provide information on any impacts to the Artemis and Moon Base programs as it becomes available,’ he added.