Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Erupts in Flames During Hotfire Test at Cape Canaveral

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket was destroyed by flames during a hotfire test at Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 36 on Thursday evening. The explosion occurred around 9 PM Eastern Time, with footage showing smoke and fire engulfing the 98-meter rocket before it was consumed by an enormous fireball. Blue Origin confirmed all personnel were safely evacuated, and founder Jeff Bezos stated the company would determine the cause and rebuild as needed. The incident prompted a sharp decline in space sector stocks, with AST SpaceMobile dropping 11% and Rocket Lab falling 2.1% in premarket trading. The market reaction followed recent speculation about a potential SpaceX public offering, which had driven valuations as high as $75 billion. This marks the second setback for New Glenn in two months, after an April mission failed to place an AST SpaceMobile satellite in the correct orbit. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) required Blue Origin to investigate, and the company implemented corrective actions following thermal issues that affected engine performance. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman acknowledged the challenges of developing heavy-lift launch capabilities and offered NASA’s cooperation in the investigation. Blue Origin remains a key partner in NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon. No casualties were reported, and investigators are now working to identify the cause of the explosion. Blue Origin has committed to transparency and will share findings as the inquiry progresses.