A rocket developed by Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin exploded on a launch pad in Florida on Thursday night during a pre-launch engine test. The explosion shook nearby homes and briefly painted the sky orange.
The blast happened around 9.00pm as crews carried out a “hotfire test”, in which the rocket’s seven booster engines were ignited while the vehicle remained secured to the pad.
Videos from the site showed flames climbing the sides of the rocket moments before a huge explosion engulfed the launch area.
“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” Blue Origin’s social media team wrote on X. “All personnel have been accounted for.”
Emergency officials said there is no threat due to fumes or other potential hazards.
“It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it,” Mr Bezos wrote on social media. “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
The explosion caused severe damage to the launchpad and nearby infrastructure at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The site is Blue Origin’s sole launch facility for its 322-foot New Glenn rocket, named after pioneering astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth.
Restoring the damaged launch pad is expected to take at least several months.
The massive New Glenn rocket was grounded in April after it left a satellite in the wrong orbit because of engine failure. It was only the third flight of the rocket that Blue Origin intends to use to launch landers to the moon for Nasa.
Homes shook in nearby Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, with residents turning to social media to wonder what happened. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 36 is visible from the beach, and the internet quickly filled with photos of an orange fireball.
New Glenn made its debut in 2025 from Cape Canaveral.
Mr Bezos’s space competitor, Elon Musk, wrote on X: “Sorry to see this, I hope you recover quickly.”
