BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket was destroyed Thursday night when it exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station during a routine engine test. No one was hurt, but people up and down the Space Coast said the blast was powerful enough to shake their homes.
The explosion happened during a static fire engine test — a standard procedure where engines are ignited while the rocket stays secured to the pad — ahead of a launch planned for the following week. Residents captured videos of the fireball on their cell phones and shared them widely.
Bezos, CEO React
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos addressed the incident in a statement posted to X.
“All personnel are accounted for and safe,” Bezos wrote. “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it. Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp posted a follow-up update on X the following Saturday.
“We have regained some access to Launch Complex 36 and are actively investigating the hotfire anomaly,” Limp wrote. “We will start clearing the pad soon and have a good rebuild plan in place. The booster and GS2’s in the integration facility appear healthy from quick looks.”
[RELATED: Watch Spaceflight Now’s footage of the Blue Origin rocket explosion]
What Witnesses Saw
CBS News Senior Space Consultant Bill Harwood described the chain of events and the scale of the destruction.
“The fire began — it appeared anyway — at the base of the rocket as they were firing the engines for a hot fire test,” Harwood said. “It quickly engulfed the rocket. The vehicle appeared to begin collapsing. All of that liquid methane and oxygen was then released, and it exploded in a fireball, the likes of which I think few of us have ever seen before.”
Harwood said the blast destroyed the rocket entirely and took out at least one of the lightning towers at the pad. He added that a full damage assessment is still ongoing.
Debris Warning
Debris from the explosion could begin washing ashore in the coming days or weeks as ocean conditions shift.
Blue Origin says people should not touch it, warning it could contain hazardous materials or sharp components that could cause injury.
Brevard EOC issued this statement; “If you find suspected Blue Origin anomaly debris, do not call to the Blue Origin Wreckage Management hotline at 321-222-4355 or by email at missionrecovery@blueorigin.com ."
A Setback With Broader Consequences
The destruction of the rocket is only part of the problem. New Glenn has just one launch pad — Launch Complex 36 — meaning Blue Origin cannot fly again until the pad is repaired and the cause of the explosion is determined.
For context, Harwood pointed to a similar incident: In 2016, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 exploded on the launch pad during a hot fire test. SpaceX resumed flights in roughly three and a half months — but had two other launch pads available at the time, including one at Kennedy Space Center and another at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
“In the case of SpaceX and pad 40, it took them more than a year to return that pad to service,” Harwood said. “So it’s unclear — we don’t know simply how long it’s going to take to get the New Glenn pad going again.”
Harwood cautioned against drawing early conclusions about the cause, but noted the implications could extend beyond Blue Origin.
“If it’s an engine problem, you’ve got to remember — those same engines are used by United Launch Alliance and their new Vulcan rocket,” Harwood said. “So obviously, a major problem with the engines would affect not just Blue Origin, but also United Launch Alliance.”
He added: “We can say with no question at all — it’s going to be many months before we see a Blue Origin New Glenn flying again.”
Congress Takes Notice
U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos, who chairs the House Space Committee, called the explosion unlike anything he has seen in his years following the space program.
“This is a big deal, and we want to get to the bottom of it,” Haridopolos said.
He confirmed he had already been in contact with Blue Origin and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, who was set to visit the damaged launch pad Friday. Haridopolos also pointed to the national security stakes of getting the pad back online.
“We’re relying on Blue Origin,” Haridopolos said. “They, along with SpaceX, are going to be the landers that we put on the moon. They have two different concepts of what they’re building. But we were relying on this New Glenn rocket to put that lander up in space.”
Despite the severity of the damage, Haridopolos expressed confidence in Blue Origin’s ability to recover, noting the company recently hired 600 additional employees on the Space Coast.
“I have full confidence that they’re going to rebuild, come back stronger, and we’re going to win the space race,” he said.
[RELATED: Florida congressman reacts to Blue Origin rocket explosion]
Space Coast Resilience
Space Florida CEO Robert Long said the explosion should not be seen as a broader blow to the aerospace industry — pointing to another launch that took place the very morning after the blast as evidence.
“These things are going to happen from time to time,” Long said. “It’s part of the normal course of business. But at the same time, things continue.”
“When you look at the bigger picture, I think we just saw a launch this morning, right? So when you talk about the space port as a whole, I think it shows the level of resilience that the system has,” Long added.