A Blue Origin rocket owned by Jeff Bezos exploded during a test at the launch pad on Thursday night, shaking nearby homes and lighting up the sky with a bright orange glow.
The company said its New Glenn rocket blew up while engines were being tested ahead of a planned satellite launch next week. Officials at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station confirmed that no one was injured.
Bezos said it is still too early to determine the exact cause of the explosion but assured that the company will investigate and recover from the setback.
The New Glenn rocket had already been grounded in April after an engine problem caused it to place a satellite into the wrong orbit. This was only its third flight. Blue Origin plans to use the rocket for future missions to the moon, including sending landers for NASA’s lunar program.
Despite the incident, the company had been preparing to test a prototype lunar lander later this year. Earlier this week, NASA awarded Blue Origin a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars to launch two lunar rovers as part of its Artemis program.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said space missions are extremely challenging and promised updates on how the explosion might affect future lunar plans.
Residents in nearby areas like Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach reported feeling the blast around 9 p.m., with many sharing photos of a fireball rising from the launch site.
Emergency teams stayed at the scene for over an hour, but officials said there was no danger from fumes or other hazards.
Authorities also said the incident will not affect other upcoming launches. A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is still scheduled to launch Friday night with a batch of Amazon internet satellites.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk expressed support, saying he hopes Blue Origin recovers quickly from the setback.
Standing 321 feet tall, New Glenn first launched in 2025. It is named after astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, and is much larger than the company’s New Shepard rockets used for space tourism.