A major explosion involving Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket occurred around 9 p.m. at Launch Complex 36 (LC-36) in Cape Canaveral, Florida, during a pre-flight ground test. Officials reported no injuries, and Brevard County authorities confirmed there was no threat to the public.¹
The blast caused significant damage to the launch pad, including the collapse of a lightning tower. Nearby structures may also have sustained damage. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expected to investigate the incident as part of a broader review of Blue Origin’s testing and safety procedures.
The explosion is a major setback for Blue Origin’s New Glenn program. The company’s NG-4 mission is now expected to face severe delays while investigators assess the cause of the failure and engineers begin repairs to the heavily damaged launch infrastructure.
Blue Origin and Jeff Bezos have both issued a statement on the matter.² Jeff Bezo stated, "All personnel are accounted for and safe. 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."³
Notes
- WOFL-FOX35, “Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket explodes during static fire test,” May 28, 2026, https://www.fox35orlando.com/video/fmc-hiiomrccmsdysrce.
- Blue Origin (@blueorigin), “We experienced an anomaly during today's hotfire test...,” X, May 28, 2026, https://x.com/blueorigin/status/2060172114796204539/.
- Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos), “All personnel are accounted for and safe...,” X, May 28, 2026, https://x.com/JeffBezos/status/2060182822170902622.
