Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explodes during static fire test

On Thursday, May 29, 2026, an uncrewed Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded during a static fire test at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The incident occurred at approximately 21:00 local time, resulting in a massive fireball and significant damage to the launch facilities. Blue Origin confirmed the event as an anomaly and stated that all personnel are safe. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced that the agency is monitoring the situation to determine potential impacts on the Artemis and Moon Base programs. Blue Origin had recently secured a $188 million contract to deliver rovers to the moon using its Mark 1 cargo lander. The explosion is expected to delay the launch window originally scheduled for early June. An investigation is currently underway to identify the root cause of the failure. Jeff Bezos expressed that it is too early to determine the technical cause but confirmed the company's commitment to rebuilding.