Blue Origin is investigating a May 28 test explosion that damaged equipment at Cape Canaveral but caused no injuries. CEO Dave Limp said early analysis points to the aft section of New Glenn’s first stage and teams are reviewing camera and sensor data. The blast destroyed a lightning tower and the transporter-erector; key infrastructure like the water tower and integration facility remained intact. Blue Origin will use a crane to stand New Glenn on the pad and aims to return to flight while rebuilding the launch complex.
Blue Origin Still Searching for Cause of New Glenn Test Explosion; Switches to Crane-Based Recovery
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket | Image Credits:Blue Origin
Blue Origin is pressing ahead with plans to return its New Glenn heavy-lift rocket to flight this year, even as engineers continue to investigate a May 28 test explosion that destroyed ground equipment at Cape Canaveral. CEO Dave Limp said the company has not yet identified the root cause and is combing extensive camera and sensor data for answers.
What Happened
The rocket, which had flown for the first time in January 2025 and was preparing for its fourth mission when the mishap occurred, experienced a test-site explosion on May 28. No one was injured. The blast destroyed a lightning tower and the transporter-erector that moves and raises New Glenn, and it damaged several nearby buildings.
"We are working to identify and correct the root cause," Limp wrote, adding that "early analysis points to the aft section of the first stage" and that teams are reviewing "extensive data from multiple camera angles and sensors."
Damage, Recovery and Changes
Although some equipment was lost, Limp noted that other critical infrastructure — including the on-site water tower, fuel tanks and the rocket integration facility — remained intact, which should speed recovery work. Because the transporter-erector was destroyed, Blue Origin will abandon that approach and instead use a large crane to lift New Glenn upright at the pad before launches.
The company must both determine and fix the technical cause of the mishap and rebuild the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, currently its only site able to support the massive rocket. Blue Origin has been positioned as an important contractor in NASA's effort to send humans back to the moon, creating strong incentives to restore New Glenn's flight schedule.
Outlook
Limp praised the rapid progress of recovery teams and said the crane-based approach could enable Blue Origin to return to flight sooner and increase the rocket's launch cadence. Before the May incident, the company had planned as many as 12 New Glenn launches this year; those plans will depend on the investigation results and repair timeline.
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