Blue Origin rocket explodes in 'anomaly' at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Video captures Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploding into a huge plume of flames at Launch Complex 36 around 9 p.m.
Watch: Blue Origin rocket explodes in 'anomaly' at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
A Blue Origin rocket exploded during a static fire test at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station late Thursday night.
CAPE CANAVERAL, Flo. - A Blue Origin rocket exploded during a static fire test at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station late Thursday night.
Video captures Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploding into a huge plume of flames at Launch Complex 36 around 9 p.m.
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"I was standing outside, and the night sky completely lit up, and we all heard the boom," Cape Canaveral Mayor Wes Morrison said on Facebook.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said NASA is aware of the incident, and no injuries have been reported. All personnel are accounted for and safe, officials said.
New Glenn on the launch pad at LC-36 ahead of the NG-3 mission. (April 13, 2026) (Blue Origin)
"It’s too early to know the root cause, but we’re already working to find it," Jeff Bezos, who founded Blue Origin, said on social media.
Officials called the incident an "anomaly" and said Blue Origin will "rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back flying."
Space Launch Delta 45, which oversees the Eastern Range at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center, said the incident occurred during a hot-fire test of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket.
They said the Eastern Range remains fully mission capable for National Security Space Launch and continues to support operations at all other launch complexes.
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"The Eastern Range serves as a Department of War test and training range supporting critical development, testing, evaluation and launch activities that advance national security and space capabilities. These operations often involve developmental systems and emerging technologies, and the nature of such testing carries inherent risk, including the potential for anomalies," Space Launch Delta 45 said in a statement.
Space Launch Delta 45 said debris from the explosion could wash ashore along publicly accessible areas in the coming days and weeks. Anyone who sees this debris should call 911.
Launch vehicle debris is potentially hazardous, and direct contact poses a risk to personal health and welfare, according to officials.
Isaacman said NASA will provide information on any impacts on the Artemis and Moon Base programs as it becomes available.
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"Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. 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," Isaacman said on social media.
New Glenn at liftoff during the NG-3 mission. (April 19, 2026) (Blue Origin)
Our affiliate, FOX 35 News, said emergency management and fire rescue officials are allowing the contained fire caused by the explosion to burn itself out.
On Blue Origin's website, the New Glenn rocket is described as "our giant, reusable rocket built for bigger things."
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Blue Origin is an official commercial launch vehicle contracted to fly agency payloads, and it honors NASA history by being named after John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.