A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Thursday night — the space technology company, which was founded in 2000 by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, said there were no injuries from the incident.

Incident During Hotfire Test

“All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more,” Blue Origin said in a statement. The explosion occurred during a “hotfire test,” the company said, describing the incident as an “anomaly.”

Footage of the incident shows smoke emerging from underneath the rocket before it erupts into a massive fireball that billows skyward, sending a towering plume of flames and smoke into the air. Emergency crews remained at the scene more than an hour later, but officials said there was no threat from fumes or other potential hazards.

Reactions and Statements

“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” Blue Origin said in a brief statement posted on X, adding that “all personnel have been accounted for.” A hot-fire test is where a rocket engine is fired up while anchored to the ground.

In a separate X post, Bezos said it was “too early to know the root cause” of the incident. “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it,” Bezos added.

US House Representative Mike Haridopolos, whose Florida district includes the launch site at Cape Canaveral, said in a statement on X that he has been in contact with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman regarding the explosion. “I am grateful there were no reported injuries and thankful for the first responders, engineers, and launch crews who acted quickly,” Haridopolos said.

Future Plans and Challenges

Blue Origin is preparing the New Glenn rocket to launch 48 Amazon Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit, part of efforts to build a broadband constellation to rival Musk’s Starlink network. Musk responded on X to a video of the New Glenn explosion, saying: “Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard.”

Last month, the New Glenn rocket failed a mission to deliver a communications satellite into the correct orbit, prompting an investigation. The US Space Force said emergency responders are at the scene and officials are working with Blue Origin to evaluate available data to determine the exact cause of the anomaly.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said on X: “Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said in a statement that it was aware of the incident. “This test was not within the scope of FAA licensed activities,” the agency said, adding that there was no impact to air traffic. Just last month, Blue Origin’s newest rocket was grounded after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered an investigation into a “mishap” involving the failed launch of a satellite.

The company attempted to place a satellite from AST SpaceMobile using its New Glenn rocket but was unable to get it as far into orbit as intended. The space company successfully launched a New Glenn rocket from Florida last November, landing its reusable booster for the first time.