Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded on launch pad.

An unmanned New Glenn rocket from aerospace company Blue Origin exploded on its launch pad in Florida during a test flight on the evening of May 28 (US time), marking a significant setback for billionaire Jeff Bezos's ambitions to close the gap with rival SpaceX.

Videos streamed live from Florida by NASASpaceflight showed the massive New Glenn rocket activating its engines on the launch pad at approximately 9 p.m. on May 28th. Just seconds later, the launch vehicle unexpectedly exploded, creating a huge fireball that rose high into the sky, followed by a column of smoke and flames visible from a distance.

Prior to the incident, Blue Origin was preparing for the fourth flight of New Glenn. The mission was intended to launch 48 Amazon Leo satellites into low Earth orbit, as part of a plan to build a satellite internet network to compete with SpaceX's Starlink service.

Images taken from social media show fire and smoke rising from Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket launch pad as it exploded during a test at Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, on May 28.

According to some sources, the Amazon Leo satellites had not yet been integrated into the rocket at the time of the explosion, thus avoiding damage to the batch of satellites.

The latest incident continues to cast a shadow over the New Glenn program, which has already experienced numerous delays. This is the rocket that Blue Origin hopes will become a cornerstone in delivering cargo and equipment for NASA's Artemis lunar exploration program.

The explosion occurred just two days after NASA awarded Blue Origin a $188 million contract to carry out missions to land lunar rovers on the surface of the Moon. It also happened less than a week after SpaceX conducted a relatively successful test of its next-generation Starship rocket.

Blue Origin confirmed that an “unusual incident” occurred during the static firing test, the phase in which the rocket engines are activated while the vehicle remains stationary on the ground to check its operational capabilities before launch.

Responding to the incident, billionaire Jeff Bezos wrote on social media that it was "a very difficult day," but affirmed that the company would overcome the consequences and continue its development program.

"We're going to rebuild whatever needs to be rebuilt and keep flying. It's totally worth it," Bezos said, adding that it was too early to determine the exact cause of the explosion.

Meanwhile, NASA administrator Jared Isaacman said the agency would cooperate with Blue Origin in the investigation.

Duy Tien (According to Reuters)

Source: https://cand.vn/ten-lua-new-glenn-cua-blue-origin-phat-no-tren-be-phong-post812334.html