A Blue Origin rocket exploded into a large fireball during a test at the company’s Florida launch pad.
The incident occurred during a hot-fire test at Cape Canaveral at about 21:00 local time (02:00 BST). The clip shows the rocket erupting into a massive ball of flame that engulfed the surrounding area.
In a social media statement, Blue Origin said it had "experienced an anomaly" during the test and confirmed all personnel were accounted for. The company said it was too early to determine the cause and had already begun investigations. "A very tough day, but we will rebuild what is necessary and return to flight. It will be worth it," founder Jeff Bezos wrote on social media, adding that everyone was safe.
Brevard County Emergency Management said the incident did not pose a threat to the public. The US Space Force said emergency responders were on scene and that officials were working with Blue Origin to review available data and determine the exact cause.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X that "spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult. We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this incident, assess near term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets."
The Federal Aviation Administration said it was aware of the incident and that the test was not within the scope of FAA licensed activities, adding there was no impact to air traffic.
Last month, the FAA ordered an investigation following a separate mishap during an attempted satellite launch with Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket for AST SpaceMobile, which failed to reach the intended orbit. Blue Origin successfully launched another New Glenn from Florida last November, achieving the first landing of its reusable booster.