Blue Origin rocket explodes on launchpad in a setback for bid to catch Musk's SpaceX | Reuters

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Sign up here.Blue Origin ​was preparing the rocket for its fourth launch, which was due to deliver 48 Amazon Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit, part of efforts ​to build a broadband constellation to rival Musk’s Starlink network. Amazon Leo satellites were not integrated on the rocket ⁠at the time of the incident, a source familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named due to its sensitivity.The explosion marks the ​latest setback for the long-delayed New Glenn, which is supposed to play a central role in delivering lunar landers and cargo under NASA's Artemis lunar exploration ​missions.It comes just two days after NASA awarded Blue Origin a $188 million contract to land rovers on the moon's surface, and less than a week after SpaceX - years ahead in development - carried out a largely successful test of its next-generation Starship rocket.Blue Origin confirmed it had experienced an “anomaly” during a hot-fire test, where a rocket engine is fired up ​while anchored to the ground."Very rough day, but we'll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it," Bezos said in a ​post on X, adding that it was too early to know the root cause.NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency would work with Blue Origin to support an investigation ‌of the ⁠incident."Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult," Isaacman said on X.Item 1 of 2 Fire and smoke rise from the launch pad of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket as it explodes during a test, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. Courtney Blair/via REUTERS [1/2]Fire and smoke rise from the launch pad of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket as it explodes during a test, in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. Courtney Blair/via REUTERS Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tabIsaacman also added that NASA would provide information on any impacts to its Artemis and Moon Base programs.'ROCKETS ARE HARD'Musk's SpaceX and Bezos' Blue Origin, in the latest competition between the billionaire-run companies, have been racing to help return people to the moon ahead of a planned crewed mission by China in 2030 by designing the lunar landers NASA will use.SpaceX, which unveiled its ​plans for an IPO earlier this month and ​is set to become the ⁠first trillion-dollar U.S. market debut, has also faced setbacks with its rocketsIn June last year, its massive Starship spacecraft exploded in a similarly dramatic fireball during testing in Texas while preparing for a test flight.SpaceX was partly successful in its 12th ​test flight of a Starship prototype last week after it deployed a clutch of mock satellites and executed ​a controlled splashdown of ⁠the spacecraft in the Indian Ocean. But the Musk-owned company failed to achieve a controlled landing of the Super Heavy booster, which tumbled into the Gulf of Mexico.Musk responded on X to a video of the Blue Origin explosion, saying, “Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard."Blue Origin has spent billions of dollars and roughly a decade ⁠developing New ​Glenn, a rocket 29-stories high with a reusable first stage meant to compete with SpaceX's ​Falcon fleet and its more powerful Starship.The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of the incident, but added that it was outside its scope and did not impact air traffic ​in the region.Reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru and Joe Brock in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Kate MayberryOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tabSuggested Topics:ScienceXFacebookLinkedinEmailLinkPurchase Licensing RightsJoe BrockThomson ReutersJoe Brock is Reuters' aerospace and defense editor, based in Los Angeles, where he leads a global team of reporters covering airlines, aerospace, weapons manufacturers, and the space industry. Joe has previously worked in Singapore, Johannesburg, Abuja and London as a reporter and bureau chief. He has received several awards for his investigative journalism, including from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing and The Society of Publishers in Asia.EmailXLinkedinRead Next agoSciencecategoryChina's Shenzhou-21 astronaut crew returns to Earth agoSciencecategoryHere's how Tyrannosaurus ended up with a big head and small arms agoSciencecategoryInca child mummy returned to indigenous community in ArgentinaMay 28, 2026SciencecategoryFearsome dinosaur-era marine reptile was the T. rex of the sea agoSportscategoryNew buzz in F1: ancient wasp species named after PiastriScienceChina's Shenzhou-21 astronaut crew returns to EarthSciencecategory · May 29, 2026 · 1:07 PM UTC · agoChina's Shenzhou-21 ​crew of three ‌astronauts returned to Earth ​on Friday ​after nearly seven ⁠months in ​space and ​were in good health, state media ​reported.SciencecategoryInca child mummy returned to indigenous community in Argentina12:02 PM UTCSciencecategoryHere's how Tyrannosaurus ended up with a big head and small arms10:02 AM UTCSportscategoryNew buzz in F1: ancient wasp species named after PiastriMay 28, 2026Site IndexLatestHomeAuthorsTopic SitemapArchiveArticle SitemapMediaVideosPicturesGraphicsPodcastsLatestHomeAuthorsTopic SitemapArchiveArticle SitemapBrowseWorldBusinessMarketsSustainabilityLegalBreakingviewsTechnologyInvestigationsSportsScienceLifestyleMediaVideosPicturesGraphicsPodcastsAbout ReutersAbout Reuters, opens new tabMedia Center, opens new tabAdvertise with Us, opens new tabCareers, opens new tabReuters News Agency, opens new tabBrand Attribution Guidelines, opens new tabReuters and AI, opens new tabReuters Leadership, opens new tabReuters Fact CheckReuters Diversity Report, opens new tabCommercial Disclosure (Japan), opens new tabStay InformedDownload the App (iOS), opens new tabDownload the App (Android), opens new tabNewslettersSubscribeInformation you can trustReuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. 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A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket experienced an explosion on a Florida launchpad during a hot-fire test, resulting in a significant setback for Jeff Bezos' space venture as it competes with Elon Musk's SpaceX. The incident occurred on Thursday and involved the rocket igniting and erupting into a massive fireball, sending flames and smoke into the air. At the time of the explosion, the rocket was being prepared for its fourth launch, which was intended to deliver 48 Amazon Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit as part of building a broadband constellation aimed at challenging Musk's Starlink network. This failure marks the latest obstacle for the New Glenn program, which is intended to play a crucial role in NASA's Artemis lunar exploration missions by delivering lunar landers and cargo.

Blue Origin confirmed that the event involved an "anomaly" during the hot-fire test, where the rocket engine was fired while anchored to the ground. In response to the failure, Bezos posted that the team would rebuild what is necessary to proceed, acknowledging that it was too early to determine the root cause. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman stated that the agency would collaborate with Blue Origin to support an investigation into the incident, emphasizing that developing new heavy-lift launch capability is inherently difficult and that spaceflight is unforgiving. Isaacman also committed to providing information regarding any potential impacts on the Artemis and Moon Base programs.

The context of this failure is framed by the ongoing competition between the two companies. Blue Origin has invested billions of dollars and roughly a decade in developing the New Glenn, a 29-story rocket featuring a reusable first stage designed to compete with SpaceX's Falcon fleet and Starship. This development occurs just two days after NASA awarded Blue Origin an $188 million contract for landing rovers on the moon, and less than a week after SpaceX conducted a largely successful test of its next-generation Starship rocket. SpaceX itself has also faced challenges, including the explosion of its Starship spacecraft during testing in Texas, though it had achieved some partial success in its recent test flights. Musk responded to the Blue Origin explosion by stating that rockets are hard, reflecting the shared difficulty in the field of heavy-lift rocket development. Overall, the event underscores the intense and challenging nature of competing to achieve advanced heavy-lift launch capabilities in the aerospace sector.