A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded during an engine test on Thursday night at Cape Canaveral, Florida, marking a significant setback for Jeff Bezos’s space company. The rocket, intended to launch 48 satellites for Amazon’s low-Earth orbit (LEO) broadband constellation called Leo, was destroyed in a fireball that shook nearby communities and briefly lit the sky orange. No injuries were reported.

The incident occurred around 9 p.m. local time at Launch Complex 36, the only launch facility Blue Origin operates for the 98-meter (322-foot) New Glenn rocket, which is named after astronaut John Glenn, the first American to orbit Earth. Emergency crews remained on site for over an hour following the explosion, but officials with Cape Canaveral Space Force Station stated there was no danger from fumes or other hazards.

Jeff Bezos described the day as “very rough” on social media but assured that the company is already investigating the cause of the anomaly and committed to repairing the damage and resuming operations. Blue Origin’s official account acknowledged the “anomaly” during the so-called hotfire test, which is a critical step before rocket launches.

This event comes after New Glenn was grounded last month following a partial engine failure on its previous flight that left a satellite in an incorrect orbit. Blue Origin has ambitious plans for the heavy-lift rocket, including delivering lunar landers for NASA’s Artemis program. Earlier this week, NASA awarded Blue Origin a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars to launch moon buggies, with a prototype lunar lander also slated for a test flight later this year.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized the challenges of spaceflight and heavy-lift rocket development, affirming the agency’s commitment to investigating the incident and evaluating any potential impacts on Artemis and lunar base projects. He pledged continued collaboration with Blue Origin to resume launch operations as soon as possible.

The timing of the explosion is notable, as Blue Origin had planned the upcoming launch for next week, which would have contributed to Amazon’s efforts to compete with Elon Musk’s SpaceX in satellite broadband. SpaceX recently launched another batch of 29 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral.

Elon Musk expressed sympathy to Blue Origin, offering his hopes for a swift recovery. Blue Origin is also competing with SpaceX for contracts related to the Artemis IV lunar landing mission scheduled for 2028, which could see astronauts return to the moon for the first time since 1972.

The explosion is expected to cause delays, with some estimates indicating that repairs to the launchpad could take up to a year, given it is the sole facility for New Glenn launches. Despite the setback, Blue Origin remains committed to continuing its space exploration and satellite deployment ambitions.