CAPE CANAVERAL, FL. (THECOUNT) — A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded Thursday night during a hotfire test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, according to company officials and federal authorities.
The explosion occurred around 9 p.m. Eastern Time at Space Launch Complex 36, the only launch pad currently configured for New Glenn rocket launches.
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Blue Origin confirmed no injuries or fatalities were reported following the incident.
“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” the company said in a statement. “All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”
🚨 JUST NOW: Jeff Bezos’ New Glenn rocket has EXPLODED into a MASSIVE fireball on the launchpad at Cape Canaveral in Florida
It literally looks like a NUCLEAR BOMB went off.@ElonMusk responded: “Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard.”
Insane to watch. pic.twitter.com/UI4QjkmLzS
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 29, 2026
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station separately confirmed that all personnel were accounted for and no injuries or deaths occurred.
Officials said the rocket was being fueled ahead of a planned static engine firing test in preparation for Blue Origin’s upcoming fourth New Glenn mission, which had been tentatively scheduled as early as June 4.
The mission was expected to carry 48 satellites for Amazon’s low Earth orbit internet service, a system designed to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink network.
Authorities confirmed the satellites were not onboard the rocket at the time of the explosion.
It remains unclear how severely the launch pad and associated ground systems were damaged or how long repairs may take.
The New Glenn heavy-lift rocket program is considered a major component of both Blue Origin’s future commercial launch operations and NASA’s long-term lunar exploration plans.
NASA intends to use the New Glenn platform for future Artemis-related missions, including a planned Blue Moon lander launch connected to the Artemis III program.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a social media statement that “spaceflight is unforgiving” and acknowledged the difficulty of developing heavy-lift launch systems.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the test was outside the scope of FAA-licensed launch activities but confirmed it was aware of the anomaly.
The FAA additionally stated there was no impact to national air traffic operations following the explosion.
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos later addressed the incident on social media, writing that it was too early to determine the root cause but pledged the company would rebuild and continue flying.
Elon Musk also commented publicly, stating: “Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard. Sorry to see this, I hope you recover quickly.”
The incident comes just weeks after the FAA cleared the New Glenn rocket to resume flight operations following an earlier anomaly involving the rocket’s second stage during an April 19 launch.
Cape Canaveral is located along Florida’s Space Coast and serves as one of the nation’s primary hubs for commercial and government spaceflight operations.
Google Maps: Space Launch Complex 36, Cape Canaveral, Florida
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