On the evening of May 28th, local time, a rocket launched by Blue Origin, Buzzers space company, exploded during testing at a launch site in Florida, USA. A huge fireball appeared at the scene, and the explosions shockwave shook nearby houses.
Reuters reported that this represents a major setback for Bezos space endeavors. Currently, the company is trying to narrow the gap with SpaceX, which will soon be listed on the stock market. Musk shared a video of the explosion and commented, Its very unfortunate that rocket development is indeed difficult.
Two days before this accident occurred, on the 26th, NASA awarded Blue Origin a contract worth $188 million for the Moon Base 1 mission. This mission aims to send a lunar lander onto the surface of the Moon. Less than a week earlier, SpaceX, which had been leading in research and development for several years, achieved significant success during the testing of its next-generation Starship rocket.
Musks Twitter post screenshot
According to reports, the unmanned New Glenn rocket was ignited at the launch pad around 9 p.m. that evening. Subsequently, an explosion occurred, resulting in a huge fireball. Flames and thick smoke rose into the sky.
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An insider revealed that at the time of the incident, Amazons LEO satellites were not yet loaded onto the rocket.
According to the US media outlet The Wall Street Journal, the launch pad that was damaged in the explosion is the only location where Blue Origin can launch the New Glenn rocket.
The launch of LEO satellites, which was originally scheduled for June 4th, will definitely be postponed. Other flight missions, including those for NASA, may also be delayed.
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Reports indicate that this explosion marks the latest setback for the long-delayed New Glenn rocket. According to NASAs Artemis lunar exploration mission plan, this rocket was supposed to play a key role in transporting lunar landers and cargo.
It was a very difficult day, said Bezos on social media platform X. But we will rebuild everything that needs to be rebuilt, and get flying again. Its worth it. He added that all personnel have been confirmed to be safe, but the exact cause of the abnormalities remains unclear.
NASA Director Isaacman said that he will work with Blue Origin to investigate this incident. He stated, There can be no mistakes in space flight. Developing new capabilities for launching heavy-lift rockets is extremely difficult.
Isaacman also added that NASA will provide information about any impacts on its Artemis and Moon Base programs.
Reuters reported that, at the same time, SpaceX and Blue Origin have been competing to design lunar landers that NASA will use. This is aimed at helping the United States return to the moon before China plans to carry out a manned lunar mission in 2030.
SpaceX announced its listing plan earlier this month. It is expected to become the first U.S. company to go public with a market value exceeding one trillion dollars.
However, the company also encountered setbacks in rocket development. In June last year, a similar violent explosion occurred during the test flight preparations for the StarShip spacecraft in Texas. Flaming fires were ignited as a result of this incident.
Last week, SpaceXs 12th prototype test flight of the Starhopper spacecraft was partially successful. A batch of simulated satellites was successfully deployed, and the spacecraft managed to achieve a controlled splashdown in the Indian Ocean. However, the companys Super Heavy booster failed to complete its planned retrorotation burn during return flight. As a result, the booster fell into the Gulf of Mexico in an uncontrolled manner.
