A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded May 29, 2026 on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. No injuries were reported, and there was no threat to the public. The explosion occurred during a static fire test of a new first-stage booster. The New Glenn rocket was preparing for an upcoming launch from Cape Canaveral when the test went horribly wrong Thursday around 9PM. New Glenn is a relatively new rocket, with only three launches to date.
Blue Origin head Jeff Bezos tweeted that it’s to early to know the root cause of the explosion, but that the company will rebuild and get back to flying as soon as possible. The company is a critical partner in NASA’s plans to return to the moon. Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is aware of the incident and is working with Blue Origin to determine the impact to the Artemis program.
A static fire or hot fire test consists of firing the rocket's engines to full power without actually launching the rocket. The goal is to test the performance of the rocket before launch day. The rocket's first and second stage were stacked on the launch pad when the engines were fired. Both were lost in the accident.
Debris from the explosion could wash up on Space Coast beaches. The Space Force says if you find any debris, don’t touch it, email missionrecovery@blueorigin.com. It could pose health risks.
