A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded during a test at a launch pad in Florida on Thursday night, sending a massive fireball into the sky in a scene captured on live footage.
The incident occurred around
9 p.m. during what the Jeff Bezos-owned space company described as a “hotfire test.” Video from the site showed the mega-rocket erupting into flames moments after the test began.
Despite the dramatic explosion, the company said no injuries were reported.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn just blew up at LC-36 while attempting to Static Fire ahead of NG-4.https://t.co/tANS0dWyIH pic.twitter.com/PztxFoBqIw
— NSF – NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) May 29, 2026
“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” Blue Origin tweeted Thursday night.
“All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”
The New York Post said it had sought comment from both the company and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Blue Origin had planned to fuel the rocket on Thursday evening ahead of a scheduled engine test firing.
The company, founded by Amazon creator Jeff Bezos, had successfully launched its third New Glenn rocket mission just last month.
The rocket involved in Thursday’s explosion was being readied for the fourth New Glenn mission, which could have launched as early as June 4. The mission was expected to carry 48 satellites for Amazon’s Leo internet service, a rival to Elon Musk’s Starlink network.
Officials said the satellites were not onboard the rocket at the time of the test.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the extent of damage caused to the launch pad or nearby ground equipment, and it remains unclear how long repairs could take.
The explosion took place at Space Launch Complex 36, currently the only launch facility capable of supporting New Glenn rocket launches.
