Overview
- A hot-fire test at Cape Canaveral on May 28 destroyed a New Glenn vehicle and damaged Launch Complex 36A but caused no injuries.
- Blue Origin says its formal anomaly probe is ongoing with no confirmed root cause and that early analysis points to the aft section of the first stage.
- Debris removal and hardware recovery are complete and reconstruction work has begun using heavy cranes and a phased five-step recovery plan.
- The company will not rebuild the pad as it was and will adopt a horizontal/vertical hybrid concept that uses cranes instead of the destroyed transporter-erector to stand rockets upright.
- Blue Origin aims to return New Glenn to flight by the end of 2026, but NASA is monitoring progress and preparing contingency options because a confirmed engine or stage fault could affect other customers and the launch supply chain.