Blue Origin’s New Glenn explosion is a setback for NASA’s Moon plans

Although Blue Origin is investigating the cause of the spectacular explosion of its New Glenn rocket last night, it is clear that this will be a major setback for NASA’s plans for the Moon and the Amazon network for Leo.

The incident occurred around 9pm at Blue Origin’s Florida launch site during a test fire, where seven engines in the extra stage ignited while keeping the 322-foot-tall rocket stable on the launchpad. The explosion and subsequent explosion caused significant damage to the only Blue Origin launch vehicle containing its New Glenn rocket.

“It is too early to know the cause but we are already working to find it,” the Blue Origin boss wrote Jeff Bezos on X. “It’s a very difficult day, but we will rebuild everything we need and resume the flight.”

According to sources to speak with Ars TechnicaThe transporter-erector and one of the lightning towers at LC-36A could not be saved. “New Glenn will not launch again until 2026, and frankly a launch in the first half of 2027 would be interesting because of concerns about the launch site,” writes Eric Berger, editor-in-chief of space. Ars Technica.

Such a delay would affect NASA’s plans for the Moon. NASA announced On Tuesday, New Glenn will deliver a robotic lunar rover shortly before the fall of 2026. In 2027, Blue Origin plans to participate in the upcoming Artemis III mission, which will see astronauts deploy their Orion capsule and lunar lander developed by SpaceX and Blue Origin.

“Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new capabilities to carry heavy payloads is extremely difficult,” said NASA administrator Jared Isaacman at X. “We will work with our partners to help investigate these challenges, see the results of the projects that are about to end, and start launching the rocket again.”

The New Glenn rocket that blasted off Thursday night was preparing to carry 48 Amazon Leo satellites — the largest group ever planned for a single launch — into low Earth orbit for the upcoming mission. Satellites were not on board.

To date, Amazon has installed more than 300 of the 1,618 Leo satellites that the FCC requires by July 30, 2026. Amazon has requested an extension to keep its license.

Amazon relied on New Glenn’s payload capacity and reusable accessories to advance its already overdue launch schedule. Without its first horse, Amazon will be forced to rely more on third-party sponsors such as United Launch Alliance (ULA) and Arianespace – and its arch-rival, SpaceX.

“Sorry to see this,” wrote billionaire astronaut Elon Musk on X. “I hope you get well soon.”