tech
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes during testing in Florida
The explosion is likely a major setback for Jeff Bezos' spaceflight company, and its attempt to compete with SpaceX.
TL;DR
- Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during a static fire test in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
- All personnel were accounted for and reported safe following the incident.
- The explosion is considered one of the largest rocket explosions in U.S. history and the worst failure for Blue Origin.
- The company is investigating the anomaly, but the root cause is not yet determined.
- This incident follows a recent failure of the New Glenn upper stage on its third launch, which lost a satellite.
- The explosion is likely to cause a pause in the New Glenn program, impacting planned launches for Amazon's Leo internet satellites and potentially NASA's Artemis missions.
- Elon Musk commented on the incident, stating 'Rockets are hard' and wishing Blue Origin a quick recovery.