The first stage of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, named ”Never Tell Me The Odds,” returns to Port Canaveral, United States, on April 19, 2023. The booster is onboard the drone ship Jacklyn, where it landed after a successful launch. This marks the first time Blue Origin is reusing the same first stage. (Photo by Manuel Mazzanti/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Jeff Bezos’ space firm Blue Origin said on Thursday it experienced an anomaly during a hot-fire test, as visuals on social media showed its New Glenn rocket explode in a fireball.
A hot-fire test is where a rocket engine is fired up while anchored to the ground.
All personnel are accounted for, Blue Origin said in a post on X.
Blue Origin has spent billions of dollars and roughly a decade developing New Glenn, a rocket 29-stories high with a reusable first stage meant to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon fleet and its more powerful Starship.
The Federal Aviation Administration did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
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