world
Blue Origin New Glenn Engine Test Ends in Explosion, Damages Launch Pad
A Blue Origin rocket exploded during testing at a Florida launch site, damaging the pad and delaying future flights. The incident affects Amazon satellite plans and Nasa lunar missions scheduled for 2026 and later.
May 29, 6:38 AM·1m read2 sources
JE
NASA SetbackCompany Setback
BBC NewsAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
A Blue Origin rocket exploded during a routine engine test at about 21:00 local time, damaging its dedicated launch pad and scattering debris across the site. No personnel were injured. Company founder Jeff Bezos posted on X that all staff were safe and that the company would rebuild.
Post by @Jerusalem_Post on X
Footage showed one of the pad's lightning protection towers collapsing after the blast. The facility is the only launch site built for the New Glenn rocket, leaving the company without a certified pad until repairs and recertification are complete. Industry sources said the work is expected to take months rather than weeks, pushing back the rocket's next planned flight.
The destroyed rocket had been scheduled to carry 48 satellites for Amazon's broadband constellation as early as 4 June. More than 300 satellites are already in orbit, all launched by other providers. Amazon must place half of its licensed 3,236-satellite constellation in orbit by 30 July 2026 under Federal Communications Commission rules.
As of late May the company was more than 1,300 satellites short of that target. >"Most unfortunate. A separate contract awarded earlier this week gives the company up to $468 million to deliver two lunar terrain vehicles by 2028. Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X that spaceflight is unforgiving and that developing new heavy-lift capability is difficult.
The agency has set a 2028 goal for a crewed lunar landing. China continues work toward landing its own astronauts on the Moon by 2030.
