Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explodes on Cape Canaveral pad during hotfire test
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded on its Cape Canaveral pad during a hotfire test Thursday evening. The company reported an anomaly; all personnel are accounted for. The vehicle is central to Jeff Bezos' SpaceX rivalry and to NASA's Artemis program. Source: CBS News
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded on its Cape Canaveral launch pad on Thursday evening during a hotfire test, the ground test in which engines are ignited while the rocket remains bolted to the pad. Blue Origin confirmed it experienced an anomaly and that all personnel are accounted for. Amazon $AMZN Leo internet satellites were not on board the vehicle, and helicopter footage showed multiple fires and significant damage to the pad and the erector-gantry used to roll the rocket from its hangar. New Glenn is central to Jeff Bezos' effort to build Blue Origin into a credible rival to Elon Musk's SpaceX and to the company's role in NASA's Artemis moon missions alongside SpaceX and other partners. The cause of the explosion is pending a review of telemetry and pad video. Source: CBS News, TechCrunch, CNN