An un-crewed rocket developed by Blue Origin exploded during a ground test, marking a setback for Jeff Bezos’ space company as it competes with SpaceX. The incident took place during a hot fire test of the New Glenn rocket, when the engine was ignited while the rocket remained fixed on the launchpad.
A livestream video showed the rocket igniting before it suddenly exploded into a large fireball. Thick flames and smoke quickly rose into the sky after the blast. The event drew attention because it happened during a key test meant to prepare the rocket for future launches.
Blue Origin later confirmed the failure and called it an “anomaly.” The company also said that all staff were safe and an investigation has started. It added that more updates will follow once more information is available.
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded in a massive fireball while undergoing a test on a Florida launchpad, dealing a major setback to the Jeff Bezos-backed firm in its efforts to challenge a dominant SpaceX. More here: https://t.co/8QpFlXzYzc pic.twitter.com/u3m2QSs0IX
— Bloomberg TV (@BloombergTV) May 29, 2026
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is aware of the incident. He explained that spaceflight is very complex and that failures can happen during development. He also said NASA will assess how the explosion may affect future missions, including the Artemis program and planned Moon base projects.
Earlier, NASA had awarded Blue Origin a $188 million contract to deliver lunar rovers using its future cargo lander. This is part of NASA’s broader plan for future moon exploration missions.
Despite the explosion, Jeff Bezos said it is still too early to know the cause. He added that the company will rebuild what is needed and continue its work.
The New Glenn rocket has been in development for around a decade. It is designed to compete with rockets from SpaceX.
The rocket is a 29 story reusable system built to carry heavy payloads into space. Blue Origin also planned to use it for launching 48 Amazon Leo satellites into low earth orbit to compete with Space X star link network.
Elon Musk reacted by saying rockets are difficult to build. SpaceX has also faced test failures in the past, including Starship explosions during earlier trials. However, the company has also achieved partial success in recent test flights, even though some recovery attempts still face challenges.
The US Federal Aviation Administration said it is aware of the explosion. It confirmed that the incident did not affect air traffic in the area.
