Portuguese 
Spanish 
3 min of reading 
0 comments 
Failure occurred during a static test in Florida and affected one of Blue Origin’s main space projects before the NG-4 mission
The New Glenn, one of the largest and most powerful spacecraft developed by Blue Origin, exploded on Thursday night (28) during a test conducted on the company’s launch pad located in Florida. The incident occurred around 10 PM, Brasília time, and interrupted an important stage of preparations for the company’s next mission.
The space vehicle was participating in a static ignition test, a procedure used to check systems and engines without the spacecraft leaving the ground. During this operation, an explosion was recorded at the base of the company founded by Jeff Bezos.
Blue Origin itself classified the episode as an operational anomaly. Information released by the company indicates that all professionals present at the site remained safe. New details are expected to be released as investigations progress.
-
Fossils millions of years old reveal that giant capybaras once dominated Chile, a country where the largest rodent on the planet simply no longer exists today.
-
Former coal mining area in the central United States receives nearly 17,000 solar panels generating 9.8 megawatts, serving over 650 subscribers and including about 200 low-income families without installing anything on rooftops.
-
Hidden beneath a small entrance in Namibia’s underground, the largest underground lake in the world is the size of 2 football fields, 264 meters deep, and even has rare animals that survive without sunlight.
-
The industry relies on oil to manufacture plastic, but a 16-year-old girl used banana peels and managed to create a bioplastic after two years of attempts.
Mission with Amazon Leo satellites was in the company’s plans
The activity was part of the preparations for the NG-4 mission, officially announced by Blue Origin on Wednesday (27).
The aim of the operation was to use the New Glenn to place the first 48 Amazon Leo satellites into orbit, a system with characteristics similar to the Starlink constellation operated by SpaceX.
Statements released by the company show that there was great anticipation surrounding the mission. During the official announcement, the CEO of Blue Origin highlighted the team’s enthusiasm and support for the Leo project, considered one of the company’s strategic initiatives.
New Glenn holds a strategic position in the private space race
The New Glenn was created for long-duration missions and represents one of Blue Origin’s biggest bets in the space market.
Projects of this scale put the company in direct competition with SpaceX, manufacturer of the Starship, a spacecraft that conducted its most recent flight on Friday (22).
The private space race has intensified in recent years. In this scenario, each test conducted by major companies in the sector is closely watched by experts, investors, and commercial partners.
Test history helped consolidate the space program
Three uncrewed test flights had already been conducted by Blue Origin before the incident this Thursday (28).
The first mission took place at the beginning of 2025. On that occasion, the spacecraft carried a prototype spacecraft developed for satellite deployment operations.
Another important stage occurred in 2025, when the New Glenn was used to send probes designed to reach Mars in 2027.
The mission was commissioned by NASA and went down in the company’s space program history as the first commercial operation of the spacecraft.
Investigation should define the next steps of the NG-4 mission
Teams at Blue Origin are now working to identify the causes of the explosion recorded during the static test.
The results of this investigation will be crucial to define the schedule of the next tests and assess any impacts on the NG-4 mission.
Expectations remain focused on the company’s clarifications, especially because the New Glenn occupies a central position in Blue Origin’s plans to expand its participation in the space sector.
The race between Blue Origin and SpaceX remains accelerated, but will the explosion of the New Glenn change the course of this competition in the coming years?
Be the first to react!