A New Glenn rocket developed by Bezos's company exploded during testing in the U.S.
In the United States, an accident occurred during ground tests involving the New Glenn rocket, which is being developed by the space company Blue Origin, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos.
This was reported by Reuters.
The incident occurred during a so-called hot fire test, when the rocket’s engines are fired up on a special test stand to check their performance before flight.
The company confirmed that an “abnormal situation” occurred during testing. A video that appeared online shows a powerful explosion following the engine ignition and a massive fireball.
Blue Origin emphasized that all personnel remained unharmed, and experts have already begun investigating the causes of the accident.
New Glenn is one of Bezos’s most ambitious projects. The rocket stands approximately 29 stories tall, and its first stage is designed to be reusable. The project is being developed as a direct competitor to SpaceX’s rockets.
Blue Origin has invested billions of dollars in the New Glenn program over nearly a decade. The project is considered key to the company’s entry into the heavy-lift space launch market and its competition with leading private space operators.
Blue Origin's New Glenn just blew up at LC-36 while attempting to Static Fire ahead of NG-4.https://t.co/tANS0dWyIH pic.twitter.com/PztxFoBqIw
— NSF - NASASpaceflight.com (@NASASpaceflight) May 29, 2026
Earlier, the European Ariane 6 launch vehicle successfully launched the second batch of internet satellites for Amazon into space.
Meanwhile, a massive piece of the SpaceX rocket, about 14 meters tall, will end its uncontrolled flight by crashing into the lunar surface at a speed of 8,700 kilometers per hour. The object remained in orbit after its launch in early 2025, when it carried the Blue Ghost lander and the Japanese Hakuto-R spacecraft into space.
