A New Glenn rocket created by Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin unexpectedly exploded during a hotfire test at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on May 28, 2026. Video footage of the explosion showed the base of the 321-foot rocket engulfed in flames after the engines appeared to fire off during the countdown, causing an explosion that rocked the entire vessel and left behind a billowing orange cloud of smoke and debris.
The Blue Origin rocket was scheduled for flight in June to place 48 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit in an attempt to compete with rival Elon Musk‘s Starlink to provide high-speed space-based internet anywhere in the world. However, the rocket had not been carrying any satellites at the time of the explosion.
Additionally, the rocket was also intended to launch moon landers as part of NASA’s Artemis moon program. Jared Isaacman, the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), addressed the explosion in a statement on X, adding that the aeronautical company was aware of the anomaly. He further added that spaceflight was “unforgiving,” writing:
“NASA is aware of the anomaly that occurred tonight at Launch Complex 36 involving Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult.”
He continued:
“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. We will provide information on any impacts to the Artemis and Moon Base programs as it becomes available.”
Blue Origin confirmed that all personnel were accounted for following the explosion
The explosion that rocked Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 28 left behind nothing but smoke, dust, and debris as Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket went up in flames.
The official X account for Blue Origin addressed the explosion on X, saying that it had “experienced an anomaly” during the hotfire test but confirmed that “all personnel have been accounted for.” Amazon’s Jeff Bezos also reiterated this in his own statement on X, writing:
“All personnel are accounted for and safe. 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. It’s worth it.”
According to the BBC, the explosion took place at around 9 pm local time, and Brevard County Emergency Management stated that the incident was not a threat to the public. Meanwhile, the US Space Force added that it was working with Blue Origin to collect and review data to determine the cause of the anomaly.
In addition to launching the Amazon Leo satellite, the New Glenn rockets were meant to be part of NASA’s Artemis moon program for next year, with the Blue Origin rocket expected to launch test moon landers sometime this year. It is unclear how the recent explosion will affect NASA’s Artemis mission.
The New Glenn was first introduced in 2025. The first flight, in November 2025, was a success as the rocket landed its reusable booster for the first time. In April 2026, the rocket was grounded after a “mishap” while attempting to place a satellite for AST SpaceMobile.
According to the BBC, the rocket‘s launch was a success, but the vessel was unable to get as far into orbit as intended. Dave Limp, the company’s chief executive, announced that the failure was attributed to a lack of “sufficient thrust” in an engine. Both Blue Origin and the Federal Aviation Administration investigated the “mishap,” and the rocket was cleared for flight last week.
Edited by Juhi Marzia