Florida Is Reeling From the Blue Origin Explosion That Turned the Rocket Into a Fireball
The launch pad may have also been damaged in the explosion.
Published May 29 2026, 5:41 p.m. ET
A test of the New Glenn ended in a fireball when the Blue Origin rocket was rocked by an explosion. The blast took place on May 28, 2026, when the fully fueled rocket turned into an orange ball of flames.
Jeff Bezos' company was testing the rocket ahead of plans to use the system to launch some of the landers that NASA plans to use on the moon as part of its massive goal of setting up a permanent settlement on the Earth's satellite. The explosion may cause a major setback in the moon mission.
Not only that, but it comes just a month after the fleet had been grounded due to another issue, highlighting some kinks that may still need to be worked out before Artemis III can take flight.
Of course, this all comes hot on the heels of Blue Origin's massive new contract with NASA, which appears to be worth millions of dollars. Keep reading to learn more about the explosion, including whether anyone was injured when the New Glenn rocket engine went up in flames.
A Blue Origin rocket exploded.
The Associated Press is reporting that Blue Origin has opened an investigation into what happened late Thursday when the New Glenn rocket exploded during a test of the engine.
Reports say that the fireball could be both seen and felt across Florida after its 9 p.m. EST explosion. The test was being done ahead of a planned satellite launch that was scheduled for the first week of June. Instead, investigators are left to sift through the 321-foot rocket's debris on and around the launch pad.
According to the Associated Press, Blue Origin is still assessing the damage that was done to the launch site, while emergency officials have informed locals to avoid coming into contact with any of the debris that they may find in the water or washed ashore.
The explosion happened a month after the fleet had experienced an upper-stage engine problem, which saw the entire New Glenn fleet grounded after it put a satellite into orbit in the wrong place.
Was there any deaths in the Blue Origin rocket explosion?
As massive as the explosion was—reports say that the blast was felt for miles—it doesn't sound like there were any fatalities as a result of the blast. Fortunately, there don't appear to be any injuries reported as of the time of publication, either.
Additionally, the Associated Press reports that the 48 Amazon Leo satellites that are set to be sent with the next Artemis launch weren't damaged during the explosion.
While Blue Origin has its work cut out for it as it tries to find out what went wrong with the engine test, NASA will have to do its own research into what this will mean for the future of the Artemis program and whether or not this will have any impacts on the space agency's next launch or the future of the American settlement on the moon.