Blue Origin rocket explodes on the launchpad during an engine-firing test

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Florida: A heavy-lift New Glenn rocket developed by Jeff Bezos’s space venture, Blue Origin, exploded Thursday night during a scheduled launchpad engine test in Florida. The incident occurred at approximately 9:00 p.m. local time at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Launch Complex 36, triggering a massive fireball.

Blue Origin and the Federal Aviation Administration confirmed that the 320-foot integrated rocket experienced a major anomaly during a ‘hotfire test’. Fortunately, the company announced that all pad personnel were safely accounted for with zero injuries.

Founder Jeff Bezos labeled it a ‘very rough day’ but vowed to rebuild and resume operations quickly. The booster was being prepared for its fourth flight to deploy 48 Amazon Internet satellites. NASA is monitoring the situation, as the heavy-lift vehicle is slated to support future deep-space missions.