A Blue Origin rocket exploded during a test on the launch pad on Thursday night, the 28th, shaking nearby houses and briefly turning the sky orange.
Blue Origin, a Jeff Bezos company, reported that its New Glenn rocket exploded during an engine ignition test.
No one was injured, according to officials at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
“It’s too early to know the root cause, but we’re already working to find it,” Bezos said via
Emergency crews remained at the scene for more than an hour, but authorities said there was no threat due to smoke or other potential hazards.
The gigantic New Glenn was taken out of service in April after placing a satellite in the wrong orbit due to an engine failure. It was only the third flight of the rocket that Blue Origin intends to use to launch moon landing modules for NASA.
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Homes shook near Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach around 9pm local time, with residents taking to social media to ask what had happened. Launch Complex 36 is visible from the beach, and the internet quickly filled with photos of an orange fireball.
“An anomaly occurred during today’s ignition test,” Blue Origin said in a brief statement. “We will provide updates as we have more information.”
The rocket was supposed to take off next week with internet satellites that are part of the Amazon LEO constellation in orbit.
At 98 meters tall, the New Glenn will make its debut in 2025. It is named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, and is much larger and more powerful than the New Shepard rockets, which have already taken tourists to the edge of space from Texas. Source: Associated Press.
*Content translated with the help of Artificial Intelligence, reviewed and edited by the Editorial Team BroadcastGrupo Estado’s real-time news system.
