Science

Explosion wrecks rocket and pad, leaving NASA's lunar ambitions looking less than launch-ready

Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded during a ground test last night, causing extensive damage to the launchpad and putting another dent in NASA's lunar timetable.

The rocket was erected at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 36. It was undergoing pre-flight testing, having been cleared by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) last week following a second-stage anomaly that doomed AST SpaceMobile's Bluebird 7 satellite.

The rocket was fueled for a static firing test of its seven BE-4 engines, during which it exploded. The force of the explosion appears to have comprehensively wrecked much of the ground infrastructure.

Fortunately, all personnel were accounted for, according to company kingpin Jeff Bezos, who called the incident a "very rough day." He also posted: "We'll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It's worth it."

The launchpad will need substantial reconstruction in addition to the loss of the rocket. A SpaceX Falcon 9 explosion on the SLC-40 pad in 2016 resulted in a gap of more than a year before the facility was used again. A quicker turnaround for New Glenn's pad would be optimistic.

The fallout from the failure is likely to be broad. Even if the BE-4 engines are not the culprit, a thorough investigation will be required. It is difficult to imagine United Launch Alliance (ULA) launching another Vulcan Centaur – which is powered by a pair of BE-4 engines – until investigators have ruled out any connection to the powerplant, even considering ULA's own booster nozzle mishap earlier this year.

Then there's the impact on NASA's Artemis program. Two days ago, the space agency awarded contracts to several companies, including Blue Origin, for lunar missions aimed at paving the way for a base on the Moon. The New Glenn was expected to launch the company's Blue Moon Mark 1 and Mark 2 lunar landers, with a Mark 1 lander scheduled to deliver NASA's VIPER rover to the Moon in 2027. A variant of the crew-capable Mark 2 lunar lander was also expected to form part of 2027's Artemis III mission. Those plans could face substantial revision or delay.

While the exact cause of the explosion is yet to be determined, the blast radius will reach far beyond Blue Origin's facilities at LC-36. ®