Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket suffered an 'anomaly' and exploded on the launch pad during a hotfire test in Florida.The incident occurred as the company prepared the 29-storey rocket to carry Amazon Leo satellites into low Earth orbit, part of a plan to build a broadband constellation to rival Starlink.The blast sent a tall plume of fire and smoke into the sky, with video footage capturing the moment the rocket ignited and erupted.Blue Origin confirmed that all personnel were accounted for and said it would provide updates as investigators determine the root cause.Founder Jeff Bezos described the event as a 'very rough day' and pledged to rebuild what needs rebuilding and to return to flight.Elon Musk, whose SpaceX is a main competitor, commented on the situation, noting that rockets are hard.The US FAA did not immediately respond to inquiries.

The incident raises questions about the pace of Blue Origin's roadmap to close the gap with SpaceX in orbital launch capabilities and satellite deployment.