Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Anomaly Occurs During Static Fire Test at Cape Canaveral

A blast occurred at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral during a static fire engine test of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket. The blast produced a large fireball that consumed the vehicle and heavily damaged the launch pad. Space Force officials stated that all personnel were accounted for and that no injuries or deaths occurred.

Engineers at Blue Origin immediately began examining data to determine the cause of the failure. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, accompanied by Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp, flew over the site the following day to assess the extent of the damage. ” The destroyed pad is currently the only facility from which Blue Origin can launch the New Glenn.

The company has started early construction on a second pad at the same station, but that work remains in its initial phase. Three days before the explosion, Blue Origin received a NASA contract to launch two robotic lunar landers later in 2026. NASA had planned to test one or both of those landers on the Artemis III mission in 2027 before attempting a crewed landing on Artemis IV in 2028.

Both missions required the New Glenn to place the landers into orbit. The accident follows an April 20, 2026, flight in which the rocket’s second stage failed to deliver a commercial satellite to its intended orbit. Rep.

Mike Haridopolos, whose district includes Cape Canaveral, said debris-removal crews are already on site and that the incident will delay Blue Origin’s lunar-lander flights, though he added that officials remain committed to reaching the moon. NASA said it will work with Blue Origin to investigate the anomaly and evaluate effects on upcoming missions.