Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket suffered a major failure during a hotfire (static fire) test on May 28 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, resulting in a large explosion and fireball visible near the launch site.

The test, which is a standard pre-launch procedure used to briefly ignite rocket engines while the vehicle remains secured to the pad, ended abruptly when the rocket detonated.

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos confirmed on social media that all personnel were safe and accounted for, while emphasizing that it is too early to determine the cause of the anomaly.He stated that the company has already begun investigating the incident and intends to rebuild and continue its launch efforts.The New Glenn, standing approximately 98 meters tall, is one of the largest rockets ever developed.

The vehicle involved in the test was expected to fly its fourth mission soon, carrying 48 satellites intended for Amazon’s Project Kuiper-style satellite internet network, known as Amazon Leo.

NASA also acknowledged the incident, noting it is working with partners to assess the impact on upcoming missions, including those related to the Artemis lunar program and future Moon exploration efforts.This explosion follows a series of setbacks for Blue Origin.

During its third flight on April 19, the rocket experienced another failure when its upper stage did not reach the intended orbit, despite a successful first-stage landing on a recovery platform.

That earlier incident prompted a Federal Aviation Administration investigation, which was completed just days before this latest explosion, on May 22.

The repeated failures highlight ongoing technical challenges in developing heavy-lift reusable launch systems and may affect the company’s short-term launch schedule and broader space ambitions.