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Space Force details response to Blue Origin rocket explosion
Officials at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station provided new details Tuesday about the response to last week's explosion involving Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, saying the incident sparked wildfires and caused damage beyond the launch complex but spared critical launch infrastructure.
CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION, Fla. - Days after Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded on a base off Florida's coast, the private space technology company is examining what went wrong and working on rebuilding to launch further flights later this year, officials said.
During a June 2 media briefing, Space Launch Delta 45 – who took control of the situation after the explosion – provided its response regarding the May 28 incident in which Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded on the launch pad during a static fire test.
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explodes during testing on Thursday, May 28, 2026.
What caused the explosion to occur?
The backstory:
The incident was classified as an anomaly that resulted in an explosion, Col. Brian Chapman of the U.S. Space Force and commander of Space Launch Delta 45 said during a June 2 media briefing.
No casualties or injuries resulted from the incident, Space Force officials reported.
The root cause of the explosion isn't known at this time, but Space Force officials are working with Blue Origin and NASA to learn more, Chapman said. Blue Origin is leading this investigation and will work through corrective measures, he said.
What happened on the night of May 28?
Timeline:
- 9:00 p.m. – Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded in a routine test.
- 9:05 p.m. – Space Launch Delta 45's Emergency Operations Center was notified.
- 9:19 p.m. – The Emergency Operations Center was up and operational.
- 9:30 p.m. – 100% accountability of all personnel in and around the area.
By Friday morning, May 29, Space Force officials – who took over responsibility of the incident – conducted initial assessments on Pad-36, where the explosion occurred. These "small (and) limited in nature," tests, Chapman described, were followed by fighting small brush fires on Saturday and handing authority back over to Blue Origin on Sunday afternoon.
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team ensured the area was safe and secure, Chapman said.
The New Glenn rocket on the launch pad at LC-36 ahead of the NG-2 mission. (Credit: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin's assessment
Blue Origin's CEO Dave Limp shared some "good news" regarding equipment after the May 28 explosion. Limp reported the propellant farm, oxygen, liquid hydrogen and LNG tanks are all in good shape. Additionally, the water tower, booster "Never Tell Me The Odds," and the three GS-2s that were onsite in the integration facility also look good.
The big support tower was damaged, Limp said, but it can be repaired rather than torn down, he said.
"We will fly again before the end of this year," Limp said in an X statement.
Watch: Blue Origin explosion
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Watch: Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explodes during test
Blue Origin confirmed it experienced an "anomaly" during a static fire test Thursday night, resulting in the rocket appearing to explode on the launch pad. Fortunately, all people were accounted for and no one was hurt, officials said. John C. shared this video with us, which captured the explosion, sending massive plumes of fire and smoke into the air.
How large was the blast damage?
Space Force officials reported the Blast Damage Assessment size to be 7,174 feet in diameter, according to data collected.
The BDA was associated with 100% TNT equivalency.
How will debris affect the local environment?
The furthest debris was within a half mile from where the rocket was, Chapman reported.
Blue Origin uses a mixture of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and liquefied natural gas (methane) to power the BE-4 engines on their orbital rocket, New Glenn, which is "much cleaner" fuel, Chapman said.
Additionally, a restoration advisory board will analyze and mitigate any toxic materials, while Blue Origin handles any environmental tests, he said.
Though Space Force officials denied hearing news about the rocket debris washing ashore, they encouraged anyone who encounters any debris to reach out to Blue Origin directly.
Any other damage to the base?
Space Force officials reported minimal damage to the remainder of the base, including Hanger C – which had windows blown out – and a garage door "banged up," at a facility housing weather balloons. However, officials were able to deploy weather balloons in launches shortly after the explosion.
Chapman credited the launch base's geography and the location of Blue Origin's launch Pad-36 – which is located on the southernmost launch pad. Despite the explosion, SpaceX was able to launch Falcon-9 less than 12 hours later on base and United Launch Alliance Atlas Launch less than 24 hours later, Chapman said.
When asked for a full list of damages to the base, Space Force deferred to Blue Origin for comment.
What we don't know:
Blue Origin is responsible for damage costs, Space Force officials said.
The total cost in damages is not known at this time.
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Will Blue Origin's explosion set back NASA's Moon Base missions?
Just days after NASA's announced working with Blue Origin and its Mark One Endurance Lander for the first Moon Base mission, Blue Origin's rocket booster New Glenn burst into flames in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Now, it' snot known how this will affect or perhaps push back NASA's agenda for building a permanent habitation on the moon.
Will the explosion setback NASA's moon base project?
Just last week, NASA announced that Blue Origin's Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance Lander would be part of the first moon base mission to deliver NASA payloads and equipment to the lunar surface. That mission was anticipated for no earlier than fall 2026.
NASA awarded Blue Origin a $188 million contract with an option period worth $280.4 million to deliver its rovers.
In response to questions regarding the timing of the moon base as well as lunar rover awards, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said, "Those missions are not until 2028, which should be well within what is possible for pad recovery."
What's next:
Blue Origin will now work to rebuild Pad-36, which includes bringing in additional personnel to do the job,
The Space Force Base will continue its working partnership with Blue Origin to bring on any equipment they need on base and taking any debris off.
"We’ll stay in a support posture for Blue Origin," Chapman said.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from a press call with the U.S. Space Force Space Launch Delta 45 on June 2, 2026.