Startling Video Captures Explosive End To Blue Origin Rocket Test
on May 29, 2026
“Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult,” wrote NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman in a post on X, formerly Twitter, following a dramatic rocket explosion in the evening of Thursday, May 28.
The rocket, dubbed the New Glenn, was created by Blue Origin and was undergoing a static fire of its launch mechanism as a test ahead of launching on June 4.
While no people were harmed in the explosion, as was noted by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Blue Origin and Amazon, the explosion raises questions on the safety of the New Glenn rocket which is set to eventually be used in future Artemis missions sending astronauts to the Moon.
See the explosion from Spaceflight Now’s livefeed, which shows the whole Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station engulfed in flames, here:
Here's our video of the explosion at Launch Complex 36. It happened about 9 pm ET (0100 UTC) as Blue Origin was beginning a static fire test of its New Glenn rocket.
— Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) May 29, 2026
Watch live views: https://t.co/tm2wZQmAVD pic.twitter.com/PmbgQC6Qmq
Watch the explosion from another angle, here:
JUST IN: Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explodes during a static-fire test. pic.twitter.com/ISDAYoCt9f
— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) May 29, 2026
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Jeff Bezos And NASA Respond To The Explosion
Responding to this explosion, Blue Origin and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said, “Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
See Bezos’ full statement regarding the New Glenn rocket explosion on May 28, here:
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.
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) May 29, 2026
New Glenn, which was named after pioneering astronaut John Glenn, was set to be used in the launch of satellites in the Amazon Leo project, beginning on June 4.
While Amazon Leo will be a constellation of unmanned satellites providing internet access, like SpaceX’s Starlink, the New Glenn rocket is supposed to eventually transport humans into space.
Down the line, New Glenn is slated to be used in the Artemis V mission, which is not expected to occur until around 2028.
The NASA administrator, Jared Isaacman, wrote of the pre-launch explosion on X, saying, “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, “We will provide information on any impacts to the Artemis and Moon Base programs as it becomes available.”
See Isaacman’s full statement, here:
NASA is aware of the anomaly that occurred tonight at Launch Complex 36 involving Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. ⁰⁰Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. We will work with…
— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) May 29, 2026
Earlier this year, the Artemis II mission used a launch system built by Lockheed Martin, with its Orion spacecraft successfully bringing its crew around the Moon, a feat which had not been done since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.
The New Glenn rockets have been in development since 2012, with tests first conducted in 2025.
Bids were made by Lockheed Martin, SpaceX, and Blue Origin regarding involvement in specific Artemis missions.
With this explosion, Blue Origin’s New Glenn’s future use with NASA could be up in the air, depending upon the results of NASA’s investigation.
Still, Blue Origin has its Blue Moon system slated to be used as early as this fall for the first phase of its Moon Base missions.
