New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Test at Cape Canaveral

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during a hotfire test at Cape Canaveral's Launch Complex 36 on May 28, dealing a significant blow to Jeff Bezos' space company as it races to support NASA's Artemis lunar missions. The company has yet to determine what caused the explosion, which occurred while preparing New Glenn for its fourth mission that was supposed to carry 48 of Amazon's LEO satellites. Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp announced Monday that the company will return to flight before the end of 2026, contradicting NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman's assessment that repairs could take until 2028. A preliminary survey of the launch site revealed some fortunate news for Blue Origin. The propellant farm, oxygen, liquid hydrogen, LNG tanks, and water tower all survived the explosion intact, which Limp called "good luck" because these are long-lead items that would have significantly delayed repairs. The support tower sustained damage but can be repaired in place rather than requiring full replacement. Additionally, the rocket booster and three upper stages that were at the launch complex also appear to be in good condition. The company will not need to build a replacement transporter-erector, as it had already been developing an alternative vertical configuration system to replace that equipment. The timing of the explosion is particularly problematic given Blue Origin's commitments to NASA. The company had paused its New Shepard space tourism flights to focus entirely on New Glenn and the Artemis program, and was selected to launch NASA's Moon Base I mission this fall. Blue Origin is developing additional launch facilities at LC-36B in Cape Canaveral and Space Launch Complex-14 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, but neither will be ready until around 2028. The company will continue flying the 7x2 variant of New Glenn rather than delaying to develop the larger 9x4 version.