Blue Origin Rocket Erupts In Massive Fireball During Engine Test At Florida Launch Site
A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket suffered a catastrophic explosion during a routine ground test in Florida on Thursday night, delivering a blow (pun totally intended) to Jeff Bezos’ spaceflight ambitions. The cause of the failure is still being investigated.
The blast occurred around 9:00 p.m. EST at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 36 during a scheduled hotfire test, a standard static procedure where the rocket remains anchored to the pad while its engines are fired. Within seconds of ignition, a massive fireball erupted, engulfing the vehicle and severely damaging the launch facilities.
The shockwave rattled windows and shook homes across nearby Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, while the fiery orange glow was bright enough to be seen by residents in Fort Pierce, over 100 miles to the south, and prompted reports of a strange light in the sky as far north as South Carolina.
Despite the scale...
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