Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during a hotfire engine test Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, creating a massive fireball visible 115 miles away. The explosion destroyed the £75m rocket that Blue Origin planned to use for NASA moon missions, including launches for the agency's £15bn moon base construction. NASA administrator Jared Isaacman announced a full evaluation of the moon return timeline following the incident. The explosion occurred just 48 hours after NASA announced Blue Origin won the contract to launch the first of three planned missions this year for moon base construction, as part of the Artemis program aiming to return astronauts to the lunar surface.
NASA Announces Timeline Evaluation Following Explosion
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman stated on X that a full evaluation of the moon return timeline would be conducted after the explosion. He wrote: "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." Isaacman added: "We will provide information on any impacts to the Artemis and Moon Base programs as it becomes available."
Blue Origin Confirms Employee Safety and Investigation Launch
Jeff Bezos confirmed all Blue Origin employees were safe and unhurt in the explosion. He stated: "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." Blue Origin described the incident as "an anomaly." Flames were still burning at the launchpad more than two hours after the explosion.
Explosion Impact Felt Across Florida Space Coast
Shockwaves from the blast were felt along Florida's Atlantic Ocean seaboard known as the space coast. The explosion could be seen 115 miles away, with residents of South Carolina hundreds of miles north reporting seeing a glow in the sky. Homes shook in nearby Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach. Emergency officials said there was no threat due to fumes or other potential hazards.
FAA Cleared Rocket for Testing Last Week After Previous Grounding
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily grounded the New Glenn rocket after a payload from the third flight ended up in the wrong orbit during a flight last month. The FAA cleared the rocket to return to flight last week. Thursday's explosion occurred during the first static fire test since that clearance. The FAA has not yet said if the blast will trigger another investigation.
Blue Origin and SpaceX Compete for Artemis Program Contracts
Blue Origin is in competition with SpaceX to provide a lunar lander for the Artemis IV mission planned for 2028 that would see astronauts set foot on the Moon again. Artemis III, planned for 2027, is scheduled to test Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander and SpaceX's Starship Human Landing System to determine which will ferry the Artemis IV crew from Orion capsule to the Moon's surface. Elon Musk said of the explosion: "Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard."
FAQ
What happened to Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket on Thursday?
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during a hotfire engine test Thursday at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The explosion created a massive fireball visible 115 miles away and destroyed the £75m rocket. All Blue Origin employees were confirmed safe and unhurt.
How did NASA respond to the Blue Origin rocket explosion?
NASA administrator Jared Isaacman announced a full evaluation of the moon return timeline following the explosion. He stated NASA will work with partners to support a thorough investigation of the anomaly and assess near-term mission impacts to the Artemis and Moon Base programs.
When did the FAA clear the New Glenn rocket to return to flight?
The FAA cleared the New Glenn rocket to return to flight last week, following a temporary grounding after a payload from the third flight ended up in the wrong orbit during a flight last month. Thursday's explosion was the first static fire test since that clearance.
