Blue Origin rocket explodes on launch pad during engine-firing test

A Blue Origin rocket exploded during a launch-pad test on Thursday night, shaking homes near Florida’s Space Coast and briefly lighting up the sky with a massive orange fireball.

The company founded by Jeff Bezos said its New Glenn rocket suffered an explosion during an engine-firing test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Officials said no injuries were reported.

“It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it,” Bezos wrote on X. “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”

Emergency crews remained at the site for more than an hour after the blast, though authorities said there was no danger from fumes or other hazards.

The setback comes months after New Glenn was grounded in April when an engine failure left a satellite in the wrong orbit. The mission had been only the rocket’s third flight. Blue Origin plans to use the heavy-lift rocket for future NASA moon-lander missions.

Residents in nearby Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach reported homes shaking around 9 p.m., while social media quickly filled with images of the explosion near Launch Complex 36.

“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” Blue Origin said in a brief statement. “We will provide updates as we learn more.”

The 321-foot (98-metre) New Glenn rocket was scheduled to launch next week carrying internet satellites for Amazon’s low-Earth orbit constellation. Named after astronaut John Glenn, the rocket debuted in 2025 and is significantly larger and more powerful than Blue Origin’s New Shepard tourist rockets.