Blue Origin, the aerospace company founded by Jeff Bezos, is assessing damage to its Florida launch pad after a rocket exploded during a test firing on Thursday night. The explosion created a massive orange fireball that was visible and felt for miles around. The company was fueling the New Glenn rocket, a 321-foot (98-meter) behemoth, hoping to briefly ignite its engines ahead of a satellite launch scheduled for next week. However, the rocket blew up, taking part of the launch pad with it.
Public Warning Issued
Emergency officials on Friday warned the public to avoid any wreckage that might wash ashore and to instead call 911. The debris could pose a hazard, and authorities are urging caution along the coastline.
New Glenn's Role in NASA's Artemis Program
The New Glenn rocket, named after John Glenn, the first American in orbit, is central to Blue Origin's plans to launch landers to the moon under NASA's Artemis program. The program aims to build a sprawling base near the moon's south pole, with the goal of landing the first Artemis moonwalkers as early as 2028. Earlier this week, NASA awarded Blue Origin a new contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars, underscoring the rocket's importance.
No Satellites Onboard
Fortunately, none of the 48 Amazon Leo satellites were onboard when the rocket exploded. Another batch of Amazon Leo satellites, which compete with SpaceX's Starlink to provide internet service to remote areas, was awaiting liftoff several miles away at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
SpaceX's Continued Activity
Within 12 hours of the explosion, SpaceX launched more Starlink satellites into orbit on Friday morning. CEO Elon Musk has two active pads: one at the Space Force side, where the latest Falcon 9 lifted off, and another at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Blue Origin's Limited Launch Capabilities
Blue Origin currently has only one launch pad in Florida. Its smaller New Shepard rockets, which launch from Texas and offer brief suborbital flights for tourists and science experiments, were paused in January to focus on New Glenn and upcoming moon missions. All operations are now on hold pending the investigation into the explosion.
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