Blue Origin Rocket Explodes Marks Setback In SpaceX Rivalry

An uncrewed Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on a Florida launchpad during a test on Thursday, marking a significant setback for Jeff Bezos’ space company as it attempts to close the gap with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is preparing for an IPO.

Video shared by NASASpaceflight, which livestreams Florida launches, shows the New Glenn rocket igniting on the pad around 2100 ET (0100 GMT Friday) before erupting into a large fireball, followed by a towering plume of flames and smoke rising into the sky.

Blue Origin was preparing the rocket for its fourth launch, which was due to deliver 48 Amazon Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit, part of efforts to build a broadband constellation to rival Musk’s Starlink network. 

Amazon Leo satellites were not integrated on the rocket at the time of the incident, a source familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named due to its sensitivity.

Setback

The explosion marks the latest setback for the long-delayed New Glenn, which is supposed to play a central role in delivering lunar landers and cargo under NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration missions.

It comes just two days after NASA awarded Blue Origin a $188 million contract to land rovers on the moon’s surface, and less than a week after SpaceX – years ahead in development – carried out a largely successful test of its next-generation Starship rocket.

Blue Origin confirmed it had experienced an “anomaly” during a hot-fire test, where a rocket engine is fired up while anchored to the ground.

‘Rockets Are Hard’

SpaceX and Blue Origin, led by Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, are competing to develop lunar landers for NASA ahead of China’s planned crewed Moon mission in 2030.

SpaceX, which recently outlined IPO plans, has also faced setbacks, including a Starship explosion during testing in Texas last year. Its latest test flight achieved partial success but failed to land the Super Heavy booster, which splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico.

Reacting to Blue Origin’s explosion video, Musk posted on X: “Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard.”

Blue Origin has invested billions over about a decade in developing New Glenn, a 29-storey rocket designed to rival SpaceX’s Falcon and Starship systems.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of the incident but noted it did not affect air traffic.

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(With inputs from Reuters)