CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — An unmanned Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on its launchpad during a propulsion hot-fire test on Thursday, sending a massive fireball, flames and thick smoke into the air that were visible across the surrounding area. The heavy-lift rocket, which is still in development and stood on the pad without a payload, had been scheduled for an upcoming mission to deploy 48 Amazon Kuiper satellites into low-Earth orbit as part of a planned broadband internet constellation. Blue Origin said no personnel were injured because the test area had been cleared under standard safety protocols, and investigators have begun reviewing telemetry and other data from the countdown and ignition sequence. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is working with Blue Origin to investigate the cause of the explosion and will examine any impact on timelines for the Artemis lunar program, which intends to use New Glenn to carry landers and cargo needed to return humans to the moon and support a long-term presence there. The incident came two days after NASA awarded Blue Origin a $188 million contract to develop and deploy lunar rovers and as the company positions New Glenn, a 29‑story-tall rocket powered by liquid natural gas and liquid oxygen, to compete in heavy-lift satellite launches and deep-space logistics. Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin’s founder, called it a “very rough day” and said the company will rebuild launch infrastructure and continue development, while local and environmental authorities monitor air quality and potential site contamination from the blast.

Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.