Blue Origin Rocket Explodes During Florida Ground Test So Social Media Blows Up Too

Blue Origin Rocket Explodes During Florida Ground Test So Social Media Blows Up Too - Page 3

A New Glenn rocket erupted in flames during a launchpad test Thursday night, prompting an investigation as to what went wrong.

Blue Origin launches NASA's EscaPADE Satellites from Cape Canaveral — Source: Anadolu / Getty

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded during a ground test Thursday, according to a post shared by the company on X.

Video from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station appears to show the rocket exploding, or what the company has called a “hot fire” while on the launchpad.

“All personnel are accounted for and safe,” Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin’s founder, said in a separate X post, CNN reports. “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.”

This isn’t the first incident with the New Glenn model of rocket; earlier this week, the rocket experienced a failure during its third flight on April 19, which prompted a Federal Aviation Administration investigation.

“During the April mission, the rocket’s first stage booster landed successfully on a seafaring barge, but the upper portion, or second stage, of the rocket didn’t manage to deliver its payload — AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird 7 satellite — to a safe orbit,” CNN reports.

New Glenn’s fourth mission was intended to carry 48 satellites to join Amazon current internet project called, Amazon Leo.

“The FAA is aware that the Blue Origin New Glenn vehicle experienced an anomaly during a static fire test on the pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida around 9 p.m. local time on May 28,” the agency said in a statement to CNN. “This test was not within the scope of FAA licensed activities. There was no impact to air traffic. Please contact Blue Origin for more information.”

Blue Origin did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.

“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,” NASA chief Jared Isaacman said on X Thursday. “Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. 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.”

Blue Origin warned that debris from the explosion “may wash ashore in the coming days,” in a social media statement Friday.

“If you encounter any debris, do not touch or approach it for your safety,” the company said in the post.

See social media’s reaction to the explosion below.