A Blue Origin rocket exploded on the pad last night during an engine test at Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The 320-foot New Glenn rocket was undergoing an engine “hot fire test” at Launch Complex 36 when it exploded on the pad about 9 p.m. Thursday, May 28. There were no injuries or fatalities, and no threat to the general public, officials announced.
Blue Origin officials posted a brief statement on X following the explosion: “We experienced an anomaly during today’s hotfire test. All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.”
Blue Origin is owned by billionaire and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who founded the private aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company in 2000.
See video of Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explosion
What did Jeff Bezos say about Blue Origin explosion?
Bezos posted a message to X an hour after the explosion, writing: “It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it. Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.”
What did Elon Musk say about Blue Origin explosion? See other reactions
Billionaire and founder of fellow space exploration company SpaceX, Elon Musk, had a short message about the explosion. He responded to an account on X that posted a video of the incident, writing: “Most unfortunate. Rockets are hard.”
Other notable figures in the space exploration industry commented on Blue Origin’s explosion. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted that NASA was aware of the anomaly that occurred in Cape Canaveral.
“Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult,” he wrote on X. “We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets.”
John Gedmark, founder and CEO of Astranis, also posted to X, saying, “We know firsthand space is incredibly difficult.”
Space Force warns debris from explosion may wash ashore for weeks
Space Launch Delta 45 officials just warned Space Coast beachgoers to report debris sightings by calling 911.
“Debris from the anomaly could wash ashore along publicly accessible areas over the coming days or weeks, it is critical that this debris is reported to 911 for proper removal and mitigation. Launch vehicle debris is potentially hazardous, direct contact poses a risk to personal health and welfare,” the statement said.
Samantha Neely is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, theme parks, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Jared Isaacman react to Florida rocket explosion
Reporting by Samantha Neely and Rick Neale, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Florida Today
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