Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes during launch pad test in Florida
As per reports it remains unclear how severely the launch pad and related ground infrastructure were damaged, or how long restoration work could take. Space Launch Complex 36 is currently the only launch pad equipped to support launches of the New Glenn rocket.
by Zee Media Bureau · Zee NewsA Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded during a hot-fire test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Thursday night (local time), according to a report by CBS News.
The report said the explosion took place at around 9 pm ET at Space Launch Complex 36 while preparations were underway for a planned static-fire rocket's engine test. No injuries or casualties were reported in the incident.
Also Read | Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Set To Launch Key Rockets Into Space Today
In a statement issued on X, Blue Origin confirmed the anomaly and said all personnel involved in the test were safe.
"We experienced an anomaly during today's hotfire test. All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more," the company posted.
Meanwhile, the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station separately confirmed that "all personnel have been accounted for and there were no injuries/fatalities."
According to CBS News, the New Glenn rocket was being fueled in preparation for the engine test. The rocket had been scheduled for its fourth mission as early as June 4, carrying 48 satellites for Amazon’s Project Kuiper low-Earth orbit internet constellation, a rival to SpaceX’s Starlink service. The satellites, however, were not aboard the rocket at the time of the incident.
The report further said it remains unclear how severely the launch pad and related ground infrastructure were damaged, or how long restoration work could take. Space Launch Complex 36 is currently the only launch pad equipped to support launches of the New Glenn rocket.
CBS News also reported that the New Glenn rocket plays a key role in Blue Origin’s Blue Moon lunar lander programme as well as NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration missions. Another Blue Moon lander is likely to launch aboard New Glenn next year in support of the Artemis III mission.
As per the reports, the rocket had been cleared to resume flights only recently following an earlier anomaly during an April 19 launch, which led the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounding the vehicle for further review.
However, the FAA said on Thursday (local time) that it was aware the rocket had "experienced an anomaly during a static fire test on the pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida," but noted that "the test was not within the scope of FAA licensed activities."
The agency also said there was "no impact to air traffic" from the explosion.
Tesla CEO and tech billionaire, Elon Musk responded to the incident and said, "Sorry to see this, I hope you recover quickly."
In a post on X, Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos also addressed the explosion and said, "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."
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman informed that the agency is monitoring the situation closely.
"NASA is aware of the anomaly that occurred tonight at Launch Complex 36 involving Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station," Isaacman said in a post on X.
He added, "Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. 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. We will provide information on any impacts to the Artemis and Moon Base programs as it becomes available."