Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explosion Delays Launches, Recovery Planned for 2026

On May 28, 2026, a static‑fire test of Blue Origin’s New Glenn heavy‑lift rocket at Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 36 (SLC‑36) resulted in a major explosion. The first‑stage vehicle (GS1‑SN003) was destroyed and the pad’s transport equipment and one of its lightning‑protection towers collapsed, though no personnel were injured. The incident jeopardized scheduled missions for Amazon’s Leo broadband satellite constellation and NASA’s VIPER rover, and it grounded the New Glenn program.

Blue Origin later announced that key infrastructure – the propellant farm, oxygen, liquid‑hydrogen and LNG tanks, and the water tower – survived intact. The damaged support tower can be repaired on site, and the booster dubbed “Never Tell Me The Odds” along with three GS‑2 upper stages remain undamaged. The company plans to continue manufacturing the current 7×2 configuration, store completed stages, and accelerate a shift to an alternative vertical‑integration approach. It expects the New Glenn to return to flight before the end of 2026 and has warned the public to avoid debris that may wash ashore.