An unexpected explosion shook Cape Canaveral on Thursday night as a Blue Origin rocket erupted into flames during an engine test, according to the aerospace company. The incident occurred on the launch tower during a static fire test at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This test was a crucial step in preparation for the forthcoming launch of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which is set to carry 48 Amazon satellites into low-earth orbit. However, the fiery event has now cast uncertainty over the timeline for the mission.
Blue Origin addressed the situation via social media, acknowledging that the rocket experienced an “anomaly” during the hotfire test. The company refrained from providing further technical details as investigations into the cause are still in the early stages.
Jeff Bezos, the owner of Blue Origin, also took to social media to reassure the public, stating, “All personnel are accounted for and safe. It’s too early to know the root cause, but we’re already working to find it. Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey confirmed in a statement that there were no injuries reported from the explosion. He noted that the current strategy is to let the contained fire naturally extinguish itself, ensuring safety remains a top priority as the situation unfolds.
The sheriff said there is no danger or threat to the community.
A static fire engine test is when the rocket’s engines are ignited and run at full thrust while the vehicle is attached to the launch tower. The vehicle is unable to go anywhere during the test. The goal is to verify that everything works under real operating conditions before committing to an actual launch.
The incident is a significant setback for Blue Origin. The upcoming mission would have been only the fourth time the rocket had flown, and Thursday’s explosion followed an earlier failed mission in which the company was unable to successfully place a commercial payload in the proper orbit.
NASA has contracted Blue Origin to provide lunar landers for the Artemis and Moon Base programs. The landers would need the company’s New Glenn rocket to get into orbit.
In a statement, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the space agency was aware of the incident.
“Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult,” Isaacman said in the statement. “We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets.”
Isaacman added: “We will provide information on any impacts to the Artemis and Moon Base programs as it becomes available.”
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