There were no injuries when the New Glenn rocket exploded Thursday night in Cape Canaveral.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket exploded on the launch pad Thursday evening.
The explosion occurred about 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Blue Origin said there were no injuries from the incident.
“We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test,” Blue Origin said on social media. “All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”
Video posted to social media showed a massive fireball on the launch pad. The explosion shook nearby homes and briefly painting the sky orange. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 36 is visible from the beach, and the internet quickly filled with photos of an orange fireball.
Emergency officials said there is no threat due to fumes or other potential hazards.
Blue Origin, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was set to fuel the rocket on Thursday ahead of a planned test firing of the rocket’s engines, CBS News said.
The company was preparing to launch to put 48 Amazon Leo satellites into low Earth orbit.
The massive New Glenn was grounded in April after it left a satellite in the wrong orbit because of engine failure. It was only the third flight of the rocket that Blue Origin intends to use to launch landers to the moon for NASA.
New Glenn made its debut in 2025 from Cape Canaveral. It is named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.