Blue Origin assesses impact of New Glenn explosion

Space Blue Origin explosion threatens to delay NASA's moon program By William Harwood William Harwood CBS News Space Consultant Bill Harwood has been covering the U.S. space program full-time since 1984, first as Cape Canaveral bureau chief for United Press International and now as a consultant for CBS News. Read Full Bio William Harwood May 29, 2026 / 2:12 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The destruction of Blue Origin's unmanned New Glenn rocket in a catastrophic launchpad explosion, along with apparently severe damage to the company's only launch pad, sent shock waves through the U.S. space community Friday. The company could now be facing flight delays stretching months — if not longer — and could cause serious delays in NASA's moon mission plans.Blue Origin, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has not yet revealed what recorded telemetry and launchpad video might show about the cause of the Thursday night explosion at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. As always with such tests, the area had been evacuated and no injuries were reported."It's too early to know the root cause but we're already working to find it," Bezos said in a post on X. "Very rough day, but we'll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It's worth it."The titanic blast could be seen across a wide swath of Florida, shaking nearby homes and rattling windows as roiling clouds of flame billowed into the sky framed by arcing streaks of debris flying in all directions. A Blue Origin rocket explodes on a launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, May 28, 2026.  SPACEFLIGHTNOW Early Friday, Space Launch Delta 45 warned the public: "Debris from the anomaly could wash ashore along publicly accessible areas over the coming days and weeks. It is critical to report sightings to 911 for proper removal and mitigation. The debris could be hazardous and direct contact could pose health risks."The hot-fire test was being carried out in preparation for the New Glenn's...