Sawt Falasteen - Blue Origin rocket explodes on launch pad

"We experienced an anomaly during today's hotfire test," the company said in a brief statement posted to X, adding that "all personnel have been accounted for."

Video from the incident shows smoke emerging from beneath the rocket -- which stands 98 meters (321 feet) tall -- before it fully combusts into a massive fireball.

The explosion is the latest setback for the space exploration company owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, and the New Glenn rocket is at the heart of the company's space ambitions.

"It's too early to know the root cause but we're already working to find it," Bezos said on X shortly after the explosion.

"Very rough day, but we'll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It's worth it."

Elon Musk, who founded Blue Origin rival company SpaceX, offered his condolences, calling the accident "most unfortunate."

- 'Spaceflight is unforgiving' -

Florida congressman Mike Haridopolos, whose district includes Cape Canaveral, said in a statement on X that he has been in contact with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman regarding the explosion.

"I am grateful there were no reported injuries and thankful for the first responders, engineers, and launch crews who acted quickly," Haridopolos said.

NASA and Blue Origin had been working together to develop a lunar lander for its Artemis moon missions.

Isaacman for his part said NASA was aware of the explosion.

"Spaceflight is unforgiving, and developing new heavy-lift launch capability is extraordinarily difficult," he wrote on X.

"We will work with our partners to support a thorough investigation of this anomaly, assess near-term mission impacts, and get back to launching rockets."

Last month, Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket failed a mission to deliver a communications satellite into the correct orbit, prompting an investigation.

Although the company successfully reused and recovered a booster for the New Glenn rocket, the uncrewed mission did not deliver the satellite from the company AST SpaceMobile.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in response said it required Blue Origin to conduct a "mishap investigation," which was completed earlier this month.

"The FAA has approved our NG-3 report, and corrective measures have been implemented," Blue Origin said on May 22, explaining that thermal conditions caused one of the rocket's engines to not achieve its full thrust, causing it to miss its target orbit.

D.Khalil--SF-PST