Blue Origin Rocket Owned by Jeff Bezos Catches Fire on Launch Pad

(SeaPRwire) –   On Thursday evening, a rocket from Jeff Bezos’ space venture, Blue Origin, erupted during a static fire ground test at a launch site in Florida.

The New Glenn launch vehicle, which honors John Glenn—the pioneering American astronaut who first orbited the globe—suffered an “anomaly” around 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

“An anomaly occurred during our hotfire test today. All team members are safe and accounted for,” Blue Origin stated in an update.

Bezos acknowledged it was a “very rough day,” adding that although it is “too early” to determine the primary cause, the crew is “already working to find it.”

“We will reconstruct whatever is necessary and return to flight. It is worth the effort,” he promised.

Video of the event captures the rocket bursting into a giant fireball, casting high flames and dense smoke into the dark sky.

The rocket was gearing up for its fourth mission to deploy 48 Amazon LEO satellites into low-Earth orbit, part of an initiative to establish a satellite internet network competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink.

The blast represents a major obstacle for Blue Origin, which had recently won NASA contracts to design lunar landing vehicles.

“Space travel is relentless, and creating a new heavy-lift launch system is incredibly challenging,” remarked NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. “We will collaborate with our partners to assist in a comprehensive inquiry into this anomaly, evaluate immediate mission consequences, and return to launching rockets.”

Local space authorities cautioned that wreckage from the blast might “wash up on public beaches over the next few days or weeks” and advised the public to alert emergency services if they find any debris.

“Debris from the launch vehicle is hazardous, and touching it directly presents a risk to personal health and safety,” Space Launch Delta 45 warned.

Launch Complex 36, the site of the explosion, can be seen from adjacent beaches, and photos of the fireball rapidly spread across social media. Some nearby residents reported that the blast shook their homes.

Florida Republican Representative Mike Haridopolos, representing the district that includes Cape Canaveral, mentioned he had conversed with Isaacman following the event.

“I am thankful that no injuries were reported and appreciate the swift response from emergency personnel, engineers, and launch teams. My prayers are with Florida’s Space Coast and all those affected,” he stated.

Musk, who saw his own SpaceX rocket explode during a test in Texas last year, was one of the public respondents.

“Highly unfortunate. Rockets are difficult,” he posted shortly after the occurrence.
Musk and Bezos continue to compete directly in the mission to send astronauts back to the moon, especially with China aiming to land its own crew there by 2030. Both of their firms are designing lunar landers for NASA’s Artemis initiative.

Scheduled for next year, NASA’s Artemis III mission will “evaluate combined operations in low Earth orbit between the Orion spacecraft and one or both of the commercial landers developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.”

Following Thursday’s launch pad explosion, NASA Administrator Isaacman stated they “will share updates regarding any consequences for the Artemis and Moon Base initiatives as they emerge.”