Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes in testing

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows the Blue Origin manufacturing facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., April 6, 2026. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo

29 May 2026 09:44AM

(Updated: 29 May 2026 10:18AM)

May 28 : Jeff Bezos' space firm Blue Origin said on Thursday it experienced an anomaly during a hot-fire test, as visuals on social media showed its New Glenn rocket explode in a fireball.A hot-fire test is where a rocket engine is fired up while anchored to the ground.All personnel are accounted for, Blue Origin said in a post on X.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 Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Source: Reuters