In the US, the New Glenn rocket of the Blue Origin company, founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, exploded during ground tests. The incident occurred at the Cape Canaveral spaceport in Florida.
According to the Associated Press, the explosion occurred on the evening of May 28 local time during engine testing before the planned launch of satellites next week. The surrounding areas were shaken, and the sky briefly turned orange due to the massive fireball.
Blue Origin reported that no one was injured. Emergency services were on the scene for more than an hour.
Bezos himself said that the cause of the accident was still unknown.
"It's too early to say what the root cause is, but we're working to determine it. It's been a tough day, but we'll get everything back up and running," he wrote on Twitter.
The rocket was being prepared to launch Amazon's Leo internet satellites. The company was also planning to test a lunar lander in the fall as part of its Artemis program.
After the accident, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk offered his support for Blue Origin.
"I'm sorry to see this, I hope you get well soon," Musk wrote.
Recall, for the first time in more than fifty years, humanity can send astronauts beyond Earth's orbit. The last time this happened was in 1972, when the United States completed the legendary Apollo program.
NASA confirmed its intention to create a nuclear power plant on the Moon by 2030 to power future lunar bases as part of the Artemis program.
NASA also plans to launch astronauts in the near future as part of the Artemis II mission, which involves a flyby of the Moon. This mission will lay the foundation for a potential landing of astronauts on the Moon in 2028 with the participation of SpaceX or Blue Origin.
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