Jeff Bezos' New Glenn rocket has EXPLODED into a MASSIVE fireball on the launchpad at Cape Canaveral in Florida

Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its New Glenn rocket exploded during a hot-fire test at a launch facility in Florida on Thursday night. The powerful blast engulfed the launchpad in a massive fireball, destroying the rocket and causing significant damage to ground infrastructure. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, with all personnel safely accounted for.

The explosion occurred during a scheduled engine-firing test, a critical milestone before the rocket's planned future missions. Blue Origin described the incident as an "anomaly" and said an investigation is underway to determine the cause. Founder Jeff Bezos acknowledged it was a "very rough day" for the company but vowed to rebuild and continue development efforts.

The New Glenn rocket is central to Blue Origin's ambitions in the commercial space race and is expected to support NASA's lunar exploration plans. Just days before the explosion, NASA selected Blue Origin for upcoming missions linked to the construction of a planned lunar base and future Moon exploration initiatives. The rocket was also being considered for missions connected to NASA's Artemis program.

The setback could delay several planned launches, including missions carrying satellites for Amazon's space-based internet project, which competes with Elon Musk's Starlink network. The incident comes as Blue Origin seeks to close the gap with SpaceX in the rapidly growing commercial launch market.

NASA and federal authorities are expected to review the incident's impact on future missions. While Blue Origin has faced technical challenges in the past, the destruction of a New Glenn rocket during testing marks one of the company's most significant setbacks to date.