Blue Origin said Saturday that it has regained partial access to Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station after a New Glenn rocket exploded during a hotfire anomaly on Thursday night, an incident now under investigation. CEO Dave Limp said the company will begin clearing the pad soon and has a rebuild plan in place, while early checks suggest the booster and GS2s in the integration facility appear to be undamaged. No injuries were reported when the fireball lit up the Florida Space Coast, and the U.S. Space Force confirmed the rocket exploded at about 9 p.m. Thursday.
The blast caused significant damage at the launch site and prompted at least 40 calls to 911, with one caller describing it as looking like “the atom bomb.” Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos said on Thursday night that it was too early to determine the root cause, and investigators are now working to figure out what happened.
The explosion has also raised concerns about broader NASA plans, including the Artemis program and future Moon missions. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency is still reviewing what the failure could mean for Artemis and long-term lunar ambitions. Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket is expected to play an important role in the program as a launch vehicle for the company’s lunar landers. Senior space editor Eric Berger said the setback may not be fatal for Artemis, but it could delay progress by 12 to 18 months before another launchpad is ready.
NASA is currently targeting late 2027 for Artemis III, a mission expected to include docking and rendezvous tests in low-Earth orbit as preparation for future lunar landings. The timing of the New Glenn failure adds uncertainty to that schedule, even as the investigation continues.
Despite the explosion, other Space Coast launches moved ahead the next day. SpaceX and United Launch Alliance both carried out launches from Cape Canaveral, completing a rare doubleheader less than 24 hours after the Blue Origin incident.
Blue Origin is also warning the public about possible debris from the explosion. The company said pieces may wash ashore in the coming days and weeks anywhere from Playalinda Beach south to Cocoa Beach. Beachgoers and residents are being urged not to touch any suspicious material found on beaches or in the water. Anyone who finds debris is asked to report it to Blue Origin.
