Cape Canaveral: A rocket developed by Blue Origin exploded during a test at its launch facility in Florida, sending a massive fireball into the sky and prompting an investigation into the incident.
Video footage captured the rocket erupting into flames on the launchpad at Cape Canaveral during a hotfire test conducted ahead of an upcoming mission.
In a statement posted on social media, Blue Origin noted that it had experienced an ‘anomaly’ during the test and confirmed that all personnel had been accounted for safely.
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 (@blueorigin) May 29, 2026
The company, founded in 2000 by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, said there was no threat to the public following the explosion, which occurred at around 21:00 local time (02:00 GMT).
Brevard County Emergency Management also confirmed there was no danger to nearby communities. Bezos later addressed the incident on social media, saying all team members were safe and that investigations into the cause had already begun.
“It’s too early to know the root cause, but we’re already working to find it,” Bezos wrote. “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
The US Space Force said that emergency response teams were deployed to the scene and officials were working alongside Blue Origin to analyse available data and determine the exact cause of the explosion. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the setback as a reminder of the challenges involved in space exploration and rocket development.
“Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult,” Isaacman said on X. “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.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it was aware of the incident but clarified that the test did not fall under FAA-licensed activities. The agency also confirmed there was no disruption to air traffic operations.
The incident comes only weeks after Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket programme faced another setback when the FAA ordered an investigation into a failed satellite launch mission involving AST SpaceMobile. During that mission, Blue Origin attempted to place a satellite into orbit using its New Glenn rocket but was unable to position it as intended.
Despite recent setbacks, the company achieved a milestone last November when it successfully launched a New Glenn rocket from Florida and landed its reusable booster for the first time.
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