Blue Origin's New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Test

Washington DC. A major setback has again hit the space company Blue Origin, owned by American billionaire Jeff Bezos. The company's ambitious 'New Glenn' rocket exploded during a test at the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida on Thursday. Although no human casualties were reported, it has raised new questions about the company's space program.

According to the company, an unexpected problem occurred during the 'Hotfire' test. The company stated in a brief statement issued via X that all employees are safe.

Videos released on social media show thick smoke emanating from the lower part of the approximately 98-meter-tall New Glenn rocket, which then erupted into a massive fireball.

This accident has become the latest challenge for Blue Origin, as the New Glenn rocket is a central project in the company's long-term space strategy. Following the explosion, Jeff Bezos stated that it would take time to immediately identify the cause of the incident and that investigations are ongoing.

He accepted the difficult situation and pledged that all necessary structures would be rebuilt and the company would return to flight.

Elon Musk, founder of Blue Origin's main competitor SpaceX, also expressed his condolences over the accident, calling it a very unfortunate event.

Florida Congressman Mike Haridopolos informed that he is in constant contact with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. He expressed relief that no one was injured and thanked the rescue workers, engineers, and launch team who were immediately active.

NASA and Blue Origin are currently collaborating on developing a lunar lander for the Artemis moon mission. Isaacman also mentioned that NASA is aware of the incident, stating that spaceflight is an extremely difficult field and intolerant of errors. According to him, a detailed investigation of the incident, an assessment of the impact on near-future missions, and preparations for relaunch will be carried out in collaboration with partner organizations.

Blue Origin has faced problems before. Last month, the New Glenn rocket failed to complete its mission of delivering a communication satellite to its intended orbit. Although the company claimed success in testing the booster's recovery and reuse, the uncrewed mission failed to deliver AST SpaceMobile's satellite to its intended location.

Following that, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) directed the company to investigate the accident. According to the company, that investigation was completed earlier this month. On May 22, Blue Origin stated that the rocket's engine failed to produce the expected full thrust due to excessive thermal conditions, resulting in the loss of the target orbit.