Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during a static fire test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on 28 May, destroying the launch vehicle and prompting an investigation into what TechCrunch described as the 'worst failure' in the company's history.
The explosion occurred during preparations for what would have been the rocket's fourth flight. According toTechCrunchandArs Technica, New Glenn was undergoing a routine pre-launch engine test when a failure occurred shortly after ignition, producing a large explosion at Launch Complex 36.
Blue Origin confirmed that all personnel were accounted for and no injuries were reported. Founder Jeff Bezos later said it was too early to determine the cause of the incident but pledged that the company would rebuild damaged infrastructure and resume operations.
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.Watch live views:https://t.co/tm2wZQmAVDpic.twitter.com/PmbgQC6Qmq
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.
The rocket involved was a new New Glenn first-stage booster powered by seven BE-4 engines. The vehicle was being prepared for a mission expected to launch Amazon's Project Kuiper internet satellites in the coming weeks.
Because static fire tests are typically conducted with a fully fuelled rocket, the resulting explosion caused extensive damage to the vehicle and surrounding launch infrastructure. The exact extent of the damage has not yet been officially confirmed.
In astatementfollowing the incident, Blue Origin described the event as an 'anomaly' and said teams were already working to identify the root cause. TheFederal Aviation Administrationsaid it was aware of the explosion and confirmed there was no impact on air traffic. A formal investigation is expected before New Glenn can return to flight operations.
We experienced an anomaly during today's hotfire test. All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.
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…
Source: International Business Times UK
