Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded during a static fire test at Launch Complex 36 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The incident took place on the night of May 28, 2026.
The explosion was captured on a live stream by NASASpaceflight.com and footage of the explosion spread rapidly across X. The Space Launch Complex 45 has confirmed in an official statement (shared by Spaceflight Now on X) that all personnel have been accounted for and there have been no injuries or fatalities.
What happened and what do we know?
Blue Origin was conducting a hot-fire test ahead of what was expected to be the rocket’s fourth launch as soon as June 4, 2026, according to Spaceflight Now. For the uninitiated, the test involves igniting the engines of a rocket while keeping it fixed to the launchpad, a procedure used to verify engine performance and fix any and all issues in time.
According to The Verge, the explosion occurred at approximately 9 PM local time and involved seven engines in the booster stage. The resulting fireball severely damaged the only launchpad Blue Origin currently has for New Glenn.
Range officials, along with Blue Origin, are currently investigating the available data to determine the exact cause of the anomaly. Meanwhile, the Eastern Range remains fully mission capable and continues to support operations at other launch complexes.
What are the consequences?
According to Ars Technica, the transporter-erector and one of the lightning towers at LC-36A may be beyond repair. The publication’s senior space editor Eric Berger wrote that a New Glenn launch in 2026 is almost certainly off the table, and a launch in the first half of 2027 would be “heroic” given the current circumstances.
Just two days prior to the explosion, NASA had awarded Blue Origin a $188 million contract, with an option period worth an additional $280.4 million, for delivering rovers and helping construct a Moon Base on the lunar surface (via Reuters). In addition, NASA also announced that the rocket was scheduled to deliver a robotic lunar lander as early as fall 2026, as part of the Artemis programme.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper also relies on New Glenn for future launches. Blue Origin was already planning up to 12 New Glenn launches in 2026. The company posted on X shortly after the explosion: “All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”
Jeff Bezos separately posted on X: “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
Blue Origin has spent nearly a decade, along with significant capital, developing New Glenn as an alternative to SpaceX’s Falcon 9. The rocket had already completed its first flight in January 2025, and had conducted three launches before the unfortunate incident. While rebuilding the rocket is one challenge, restoring the launch pad infrastructure is another.