Blue Origin rocket explodes on launch pad during ‘hotfire test’
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket dramatically exploded on the launch pad during a test on Thursday, in a setback for Jeff Bezos’ space venture as it seeks to narrow the gap with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
Video posted by NASASpaceflight, a YouTube channel that live-streams launches from Florida, showed the New Glenn igniting on the pad before erupting into a massive fireball that billowed skyward, sending a towering plume of flames and smoke into the air.
Blue Origin said it had experienced an “anomaly”, a term commonly used by rocket companies to describe a launch failure or explosion.
“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test. All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more,” the company said in a post on X.
A hot-fire test is where a rocket engine is fired up while anchored to the ground.
In a separate X post, Bezos said it was “too early to know the root cause” of the incident.