Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin has suffered a major setback after its New Glenn rocket exploded during a hot fire test at a launch facility in Florida. The incident comes at a particularly crucial time for the company, which has been trying to position New Glenn as a serious competitor to Elon Musk’s SpaceX Falcon Heavy and Starship programs. The explosion took place on May 28 during a routine pre-launch hot fire test. Video footage shared by NASASpaceflight showed the rocket igniting on the launchpad before a massive fireball erupted, sending thick smoke and flames into the night sky. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Blue Origin later confirmed the incident, saying, “We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test. All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”
