Blue Origin ship explodes during launch pad test

Blue Origin spacecraft explosion at a launch base in Florida, on May 28, 2026
Reproduction/NasaSpaceFlight
The New Glenn spacecraft, one of the most powerful in the world, exploded this Thursday (28) during a test at the Blue Origin launch base, owned by Jeff Bezos.
The explosion happened around 10pm (Brasília time), when the space vehicle was undergoing a static ignition test, when it did not take off.
The experiment focused on the future NG-4 mission, announced by Blue Origin on Wednesday (27). The plan is for the ship to send the first 48 Amazon Leo satellites into space, similar to those used by Elon Musk's Starlink.
Blue Origin said it had recorded an "anomaly" and that all employees are safe. The company said it will provide updates as it obtains more details on the incident.
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On Wednesday, the CEO of Blue Origin even celebrated the announcement of the future NG-4 mission. "Exciting mission coming up. I couldn't be more proud to support the Leo team on this mission," he said.
New Glenn is the supership designed by Blue Origin to make longer flights. It is the direct competitor of Starship, a ship that made its most recent flight last Friday (22) and is manufactured by SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk.
Explosion of the New Glenn spacecraft at the Blue Origin launch base, on May 28, 2026
Reproduction/NasaSpaceFlight

Source: G1