Blue Origin rocket explodes during Florida test

A Blue Origin rocket exploded during a prelaunch test on Florida's space coast Thursday night. The blast created a large fireball and mushroom cloud visible for miles. The first stage, a 188-foot-tall booster, and the 88-foot upper stage were both destroyed. The company described the event as an anomaly.

Cost and construction details The first stage costs more than $100 million to build and the upper stage costs more than $50 million, according to Ars Technica. The reusable first stage was designed for a minimum of 25 flights.

Company response "All personnel are accounted for and safe," a company statement said. "It's too early to know the root cause but we're already working to find it. Very rough day, but we'll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying." The company warned residents that debris may wash ashore in coming days and advised people to stay away from any fragments.

NASA contract context On Tuesday, NASA awarded the company a contract to launch the first of three missions this year to support a planned $20 billion lunar base. The first mission will deliver payloads to the Lunar South Pole using the Blue Moon Mark 1 lander.

The company also holds a $188 million contract to deliver Lunar Terrain Vehicles to the moon's surface. NASA aims to reach early habitation on the moon by early 2029. It remains unclear whether the test explosion will affect those upcoming missions.