Elon Musk has reacted after Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin suffered a dramatic rocket explosion during a test at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The incident involved Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, which was reportedly undergoing a static fire test at Launch Complex 36 when it erupted into a massive fireball late on Thursday night.
Footage circulating online appeared to show an initial detonation near the base of the rocket before smoke rapidly travelled upwards along the structure. Moments later, a second blast could be seen near the pointed nose of the spacecraft, with the entire vehicle then engulfed in bright yellow flames.
As videos of the explosion spread across social media, Musk responded with a short message on X that quickly drew attention online. TheSpaceX ownerwrote: 'Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard.' Blue Origin and Bezos later issued statements confirming that all personnel had been accounted for and were safe following the explosion.
The explosionreportedlytook place shortly after 9 pm local time on Thursday, May 28, during what Blue Origin described as a 'hotfire test' involving the New Glenn rocket. Witness footage shared online captured the moment the rocket erupted into flames at the Florida launch site.
In several clips circulating on social media, a blast can first be seen near the base of the rocket before thick smoke begins moving up the shaft of the spacecraft. A second explosion then appears near the upper section of the vehicle before the entire rocket disappears inside a huge plume of bright yellow fire.
Shortly after videos of the incident began spreading online, Elon Musk posted his reaction on X. The billionaire SpaceX owner kept his response brief, writing: 'Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard.'
The five-word comment immediately drew attention, given the long-running rivalry between Musk and fellow billionaire Jeff Bezos in the commercial space industry. However, Musk did not expand further on the incident or speculate on what may have caused the explosion.
Blue Origin later confirmed that an 'anomaly' had occurred during testing. In a statement shared on social media, a company spokesperson said: 'We experienced an anomaly during today's hotfire test. All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.'
Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard.
The company did not immediately provide further details about the damage caused to the New Glenn rocket or what stage of testing was taking place before the explosion occurred.
Source: International Business Times UK
