Blue Origin Rocket Explodes During Pad Test, Impacts Moon Missions
A Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket exploded during an engine-firing test at the launch pad Thursday night, shaking nearby homes and briefly painting the sky orange. The massive New Glenn rocket, intended for lunar missions and satellite launches, was grounded in April due to an engine failure and this explosion occurred ahead of a planned satellite launch next week. While no one was hurt, the incident is under investigation, with Blue Origin and NASA acknowledging the inherent difficulties in developing heavy-lift launch capabilities. This explosion is not expected to affect other companies’ upcoming launches from different pads.
John Q. Hosedrinker