Blue Origin Rocket Engulfs Florida Launch Pad in Massive Fireball During Test

A rocket manufactured by Blue Origin erupted into a spectacular fireball on a Florida launch pad while undergoing testing. Video footage captured the vehicle bursting into a gigantic sphere of flames that surrounded the structure. In a post on social media, the company confirmed it had encountered an "anomaly" during a hotfire test, while emphasizing that every member of staff had been located and was safe.

The incident occurred at approximately 21:00 local time (02:00 GMT+1) at Cape Canaveral. Jeff Bezos, the Amazon billionaire who established the space technology firm in 2000, took to social media to reassure the public, stating that all personnel were accounted for and unharmed.

"It's too early to know the root cause but we're already working to find it," Bezos wrote. "Very rough day, but we'll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It's worth it."

Brevard County Emergency Management assured residents that there was no danger to the general public. Meanwhile, the US Space Force reported that emergency teams had arrived at the site, and authorities were collaborating with Blue Origin to analyze data and pinpoint the source of the failure.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman commented on the event via X, noting that "spaceflight is unforgiving" and that creating new heavy-lift launch capabilities is "extraordinarily difficult." He added that NASA would collaborate with its partners to support a comprehensive investigation, assess potential impacts on upcoming missions, and resume launch operations.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledged the event in a statement, clarifying that the test fell outside the boundaries of FAA-licensed activities. The agency confirmed that the explosion had no effect on air traffic.

This accident follows a series of challenges for the company. Just last month, Blue Origin’s latest rocket was grounded after the FAA launched an investigation into a "mishap" during a satellite launch attempt. The company had tried to deploy an AST SpaceMobile satellite using its New Glenn rocket but failed to achieve the intended orbital altitude. Prior to these setbacks, Blue Origin had achieved a milestone in November last year when it successfully launched a New Glenn rocket from Florida, marking the first time it landed its reusable booster.

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-29 02:59:49 UTC