May 29, 2026 10:49 AM
Blue Origin rocket explodes during test, setback for bid to catch Musk’s SpaceX
An uncrewed Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on the launchpad during a test on Thursday, in a major setback for Jeff Bezos’ space venture as it seeks to narrow the gap with Elon Musk’s IPO-bound SpaceX. Video posted by NASA Spaceflight, a YouTube channel that livestreams launches from Florida, showed the New Glenn igniting on the pad at about 2100 ET (0100 GMT on Friday) before erupting into a massive fireball that billowed skyward, sending a towering plume of flames and smoke into the...