TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos' space firm, said on Thursday it experienced an anomaly during a hot-fire test of its New Glenn rocket in Florida.
In a post on X, the company said all personnel are accounted for. "We will provide updates as we learn more," it added.
Meanwhile, visuals on social media showed the rocket exploding in a fireball. A hot-fire test involves firing up a rocket engine while it is anchored to the ground.
Bezos vows to get back to flying
Blue Origin's owner said that the company has already begun investigating the cause of the explosion.
"It's too early to know the root cause but we're already working to find it," Bezos wrote on X. "Very rough day, but we'll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It's worth it."
Blue Origin has invested billions of dollars over the past decade in developing New Glenn, a 29-story rocket with a reusable first stage. It is intended to compete with SpaceX's Falcon fleet and its more powerful Starship.
In April, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ordered Blue Origin to investigate the failure of the second stage of its massive New Glenn rocket.
NASA will support probe
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said that his agency was aware of the New Glenn's "anomaly."
"Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult," he wrote on X.
"We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets," he added.
According to Isaacman, NASA will provide information on any impacts to the Artemis and Moon Base programs as it becomes available.
SpaceX and Blue Origin are racing to design the lunar landers that NASA will use to return people to the moon.
Read: Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to Build 5,400-Satellite Megaconstellation
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin to Build 5,400-Satellite Megaconstellation
26 Januari 2026
Blue Origin announces its plan to build TeraWave, which consists of 5,280 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and 128 in medium Earth orbit (MEO).
A Glimpse into Jeff Bezos' Net Worth: Amazon and Lavish Wedding
30 Juni 2025
Founder of Amazon, Jeffrey Preston Bezos or Jeff Bezos, officially tied the knot with Lauren Sanchez in Venice, Italy, on Friday, June 27.
Katy Perry Breaks Silence on Backlash After Blue Origin Space Trip
2 Mei 2025
Pop singer Katy Perry became the target of sharp criticism after her journey to outer space with Blue Origin.
Blue Origin's NS-31 Mission to Launch 6 Women into Space, Including Katy Perry
14 April 2025
Blue Origin's NS-31 will take six women from diverse backgrounds to the edge of space aboard the New Shepard rocket, including Katy Perry.
