Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Explodes on Launch Pad
Jeff Bezos’ rocket company, Blue Origin, experienced a catastrophic failure during a static fire test at Cape Canaveral on Thursday, May 28, 2026. The New Glenn rocket exploded, destroying the vehicle, the erector-gantry, and a lightning tower at its unique launch pad.
The Incident:
The explosion occurred around 9 pm EDT during a brief test firing of the rocket’s seven BE-4 methane-fueled engines while fully loaded with fuel. All personnel were safely accounted for. Blue Origin referred to the event as an "anomaly" and promised to rebuild what was needed.
Extensive Damage:
The impact was significant, extending beyond the rocket itself:
- The erector-gantry used to move New Glenn was no longer visible.
- One of two lightning towers had toppled.
This explosion is considered one of the largest rocket failures in US history, marking the first on-pad detonation at Cape Canaveral since a SpaceX Falcon 9 blast in 2016.
Impact on Amazon’s Satellite Constellation:
The incident comes just a day after NASA awarded Blue Origin a $188 million Moon Base contract and was set to launch 48 Amazon Leo broadband satellites next week, marking the first of 24 planned launches. However, with the pad infrastructure damaged, Amazon’s satellite deployment deadline is now in serious doubt.
A Troubled Flight Record:
New Glenn has had a challenging flight history:
- First launch (Jan 2025): Reached orbit but booster failed to land.
- Second launch (Nov 2025): First successful booster landing.
- Third launch (Apr 2026): Booster landed again, but an upper stage failure destroyed an AST SpaceMobile satellite.
The FAA had grounded New Glenn following the April incident, and its recent clearance for return to flight is now in jeopardy due to this latest disaster.