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Blue Origin’s New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Hotfire Test

The pad blast has badly damaged Blue Origin’s only New Glenn launch site, likely delaying Amazon Leo satellite deployments and NASA-related missions.

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Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was the site of a rocket anomaly Thursday, according to NASA.
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A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explodes during an engine-firing test on Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (@JConcilus via AP)

Overview

  • Video and eyewitness accounts show a hotfire engine test at Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 36 erupting into a massive fireball on Thursday night, May 28.
  • Blue Origin confirmed an “anomaly” during the test, said all personnel were accounted for, and opened an internal investigation.
  • The explosion caused substantial damage to Launch Complex 36, which is the sole pad for New Glenn launches, and repair work is expected to take months.
  • The FAA and NASA have notified they will support or assess investigations and near-term mission impacts as Blue Origin reviews telemetry, engine and pad systems.
  • New Glenn is central to Blue Origin’s plans to carry 48 Amazon Leo satellites on the planned NG-4 mission and to deliver hardware for NASA lunar work, so the failure risks near-term delays to commercial satellite rollouts and Artemis-related schedules.