Shafaqna English– A major setback hit Jeff Bezos’ space venture on Thursday(28 May 2026) when an uncrewed Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on a Florida launchpad during testing. The company is striving to narrow the gap with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which is planning to go public.
A video released by NASASpaceflight, known for livestreaming launches from Florida, captured the moment the massive New Glenn rocket ignited on the pad at roughly 9:00 PM ET (0100 GMT Friday). It then burst into a gigantic fireball that soared upward, sending a towering plume of fire and smoke into the atmosphere.
Blue Origin had been getting the rocket ready for its fourth mission, which was supposed to carry 48 Amazon Leo satellites to low-Earth orbit. This launch was part of the company’s broader plan to create a broadband satellite network capable of competing with Musk’s Starlink system.
A source with knowledge of the situation, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the matter, stated that the Amazon Leo satellites were not attached to the rocket at the time of the explosion.
Source: Reuters