Blue Origin Releases Dramatic Footage of New Glenn Explosion: Fireball Visible 120 Miles Away; Bezos Calls It a 'Very Rough Day'
Summary: Multiple videos of the New Glenn rocket explosion on May 28 have been shared across social media, showing the massive fireball visible from as far as 120 miles (193 km) away in Tampa, Florida. Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos confirmed on X that no one was hurt and the company is working to determine the root cause.
Explosion Footage Goes Viral on Social Media
Witness videos flooded X after the explosion. User @leesteapleton posted video received from a patron of Cocoa Beach restaurant Coconuts on the Beach, located about 11.5 miles (18.5 km) from the launchpad. User @JConcilus near Jetty Park — about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) from LC-36 — called the explosion "absolutely enormous."
Most dramatic was a video from Tampa, Florida — approximately 120 miles from LC-36 — showing the night sky illuminated by the blast. The post read: "120 miles away. That's the distance between Tampa and the New Glenn explosion in this video. Yet the blast was still visible across Florida's night sky. Moments like this remind you just how powerful these engines are."
User @ItsAlexQuinn, flying above Orlando about 50 miles (80 km) from the launchpad at the time, posted video from his airplane window seat. Instagram user @gofly2 captured the glow while aboard a yacht returning to Port Canaveral.
A Ring doorbell video from @huntermanely showed the explosion lighting up the night sky during a pizza delivery. Another user captured an aerial view of the explosion from Orlando Airport.
Military and Blue Origin Issue Debris Warnings
An aerial image taken on May 29 morning of LC-36 showed the extent of damage to launchpad infrastructure. Both Blue Origin and Space Force officials are instructing the public to report any debris that may wash up on nearby shores.
Blue Origin has set up a Wreckage Management Hotline (321-222-4355) and urges: "Do not touch or attempt to recover suspected debris. Report debris to the Blue Origin Wreckage Management Hotline or call 911 if items pose an immediate public safety hazard."
Bezos Responds
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos confirmed the accident in a post on X, saying: "It's too early to know the root cause but we're already working to find it. Very rough day, but we're working to figure it out."