The New Glenn rocket explosion during a static fire test on May 28 created a shockwave felt as far away as Clearwater, Florida, the USGS National Earthquake Information Center reported.
Meanwhile, assessments continued not only of the extensive damage to Blue Origin’s Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 36 but what it could mean for NASA’s ambitious moon base plans, which relied, in part, on Blue Origin.
A report from USGS National Earthquake Information Center showed that three separate seismographic stations, which are used for detecting earthquakes, picked up the May 28 event. The furthest station that detected what USGS termed an “accidental explosion” was located east of Clearwater, a whopping 135 miles away from Launch Complex 36.
The readings show the mishap generated a shockwave that rocked the area at the scale of a 2.5 magnitude earthquake. USGS notes that while seismographic stations detected the event, that doesn’t mean it’s related to earthquake activity. This is because unlike an earthquake, the shockwave from the explosion was above ground. Therefore, it did not shake within the ground and cannot officially be classified as an earthquake.
“We have regained some access to Launch Complex 36 and are actively investigating the hotfire anomaly. We will start clearing the pad soon and have a good rebuild plan in place,” wrote Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp in a May 30 tweet.
Over the weekend, NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman arrived on site to meet with Blue Origin’s founder Jeff Bezos and Limp. The explosion happened just days after NASA announced that Blue Origin planned to launch its first uncrewed lander in support of NASA’s moon base later this year.
This static fire test was being conducted to test the rocket’s engines and systems before an actual launch attempt, which was set to come as soon as June 4 carrying a batch of Amazon Leo satellites. It would have been the company’s fourth launch of its New Glenn rocket. Instead, the rocket was lost in a burst of fire, temporarily turning the sky over the Space Coast bright orange. The fire burned for hours afterwards.
Blue Origin and NASA assess damage to Cape Canaveral site
It is unknown how soon Blue Origin can get the pad back up and operational, or what impact this will have to NASA’s ambitious moon base plans. Blue Origin planned to launch the first of its uncrewed Mark 1 lunar landers atop a New Glenn rocket by the end of the year in support of NASA’s moon base.
“We have been saying for months at NASA that we are not going to sit on our hands and wait for the capabilities necessary to achieve the nation’s most pressing objectives,” Isaacman wrote on X. “We are going to take an active role alongside our partners, just as we did in the 1960s, to overcome setbacks, remove obstacles, and deliver the intended outcomes.”
Blue Origin was also tapped alongside SpaceX to launch a human-rated lunar lander for future Artemis missions. The Artemis III mission, planned for 2027, calls for docking either Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 2 or SpaceX’s Starship with the Orion spacecraft in Earth orbit, a test of capability before the planned 2028 moon landing.
“NASA is committed to helping the Blue team recover, continue to advance their lunar lander and get New Glenn back to launching as soon as safely possible,” Isaacman wrote.
Stored in a facility near the launch pad was the company’s “Never Tell Me the Odds” first stage booster, which scored landings during the second and third New Glenn flights. This was a huge accomplishment for Blue Origin, which like SpaceX, is seeking reusability of its rocket boosters. While many feared the historic booster was damaged, Limp said that it appeared be in in good shape after an initial inspection.
Blue Origin also has multiple first and second stages in its Merritt Island facility on Space Commerce Way/S.R. 321. The true hurdle is how soon Blue Origin can rebuild its launch site, which is estimated to have cost $1 billion-plus.
Beyond launching NASA missions and Amazon Leo internet satellites, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket has also been awarded National Security mission contracts. A task order was awarded just hours before the mishap.
“This anomaly is a solemn reminder that the critical capability this community provides is rocket science and inherently challenging,” United States Space Force Col Eric Zarybnisky said in a news release. “The National Security Space Launch program will continue working closely with our Blue Origin partners to help identify the root cause and implement corrective actions.”
Be sure to follow the FLORIA TODAY Space Team for the latest updates from Cape Canaveral.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Blue Origin New Glenn explosion caused ‘earthquake’ across Florida
Reporting by Brooke Edwards, Florida Today / Florida Today
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