Florida Spaceflight

Florida-based spaceflight news, launch coverage & photography. Florida rocket launches, schedules & mission updates. Media & licensing available.

[Jack Whitlock @JackWhitlock]

That was a close one! A Grid Fin appears to have locked up. You can see the Merlin engine gimbal at the last second to avoid landing on the wrong part of the droneship.

[Florida Spaceflight @FLspaceflight]

Statement from Blue CEO, Dave Limp, on pad 36 and plans for rebuild. They are looking to return to flight by end of 2026.

[NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman @NASAAdmin]

We go where we need to be, and today that was @NASAKennedy.

Some of my senior engineers and I spent time at @blueorigin with @JeffBezos and @davill, speaking with the workforce and seeing the damage at LC-36 firsthand. I appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from those working through the aftermath and better understand the challenges ahead.

There is a lot of work to do, but this is exactly why people choose careers in aerospace, whether at NASA, Blue Origin, or across the industry. The talent in this field thrives under pressure and performs at its best when solving the toughest problems.

We have been saying for months at NASA that we are not going to sit on our hands and wait for the capabilities necessary to achieve the nation’s most pressing objectives. We are going to take an active role alongside our partners, just as we did in the 1960s, to overcome setbacks, remove obstacles, and deliver the intended outcomes.

@NASA is committed to helping the Blue team recover, continue to advance their lunar lander and get New Glenn back to launching as soon as safely possible.

America’s greatest achievements in space were never the result of avoiding setbacks. They came from overcoming them. We have done it before, and we will do it again🇺🇸

[John Winkopp SpaceCoastPictures @John_Winkopp]

Video of Starlink 10-53 solar transit. WAI media.

[Jerry Pike @JerryPikePhoto]

Absolute carnage on the ground at LC-36 this afternoon

[Florida Spaceflight @FLspaceflight]

First image of the damage. Thanks to @asherbphotos for getting this!

[Asher B. @asherbphotos]

First look at LC-36 from the air this morning after the explosion of New Glenn last night during a failed hotfire test.
Visible is the wreckage from the destroyed TE as well as the fallen lightning tower. More to come soon.

📸 - @LaunchHeavenX

[Florida Spaceflight @FLspaceflight]

Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket was destroyed during a prelaunch static fire test at Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, marking a significant setback for the company’s heavy-lift launch program.

Blue Origin says all personnel were accounted for and safe after the anomaly. The explosion destroyed the rocket, along with the strongback/transporter erector and one of the pad’s lightning towers.

The test was being conducted ahead of a planned Amazon Leo satellite launch. Blue Origin has not yet announced a revised launch target as teams begin investigating the cause and assessing damage at LC-36.

Full story: https://t.co/4z5LdlX5JJ

#BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #CapeCanaveral #CapeCanaveralSpaceForceStation #SpaceCoast #FloridaSpaceflight #CommercialSpaceflight #SpaceNews #RocketLaunch #RocketScience #StaticFire #LC36 #AmazonLeo #ProjectKuiper #JeffBezos #NASA #Artemis #HeavyLift #LaunchPad #Aerospace

[Florida Spaceflight @FLspaceflight]

Video sent in by a fan. Security cam footage of the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explosion seen as far away as Jupiter, FL, ~110 miles south of the pad.

[Jeff Bezos @JeffBezos]

All personnel are accounted for and safe. It’s too early to know the root cause but we’re already working to find it. Very rough day, but we’ll rebuild whatever needs rebuilding and get back to flying. It’s worth it.

[Florida Spaceflight @FLspaceflight]

🚨 BREAKING: Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket appears to have exploded during a static fire test at Launch Complex 36 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The incident occurred during ground testing operations at LC-36, the launch site used for Blue Origin’s heavy-lift New Glenn rocket program. Video circulating online appears to show a large explosion and fireball coming from the pad during the test sequence.

At this time, Blue Origin has released an official statement on X stating “We experienced an anomaly during today's hotfire test. All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.” It is currently unclear what the extent of damage is to the launch infrastructure.

New Glenn is Blue Origin’s partially reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle powered by seven BE-4 engines and operated from LC-36 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

More information to come as this story develops.

#BlueOrigin #NewGlenn #RocketLaunch #CapeCanaveral #SpaceNews #FloridaSpaceflight #SpaceCoast #LC36 #RocketExplosion #BreakingNews

[NSF - NASASpaceflight.com @NASASpaceflight]

The explosion has toppled the right-hand lightning protection system tower! It's nowhere to be seen.

[NSF - NASASpaceflight.com @NASASpaceflight]

The sound of the explosion just arrived at our cams miles away.

[Blue Origin @blueorigin]

We experienced an anomaly during today's hotfire test. All personnel have been accounted for. We will provide updates as we learn more.

[Florida Spaceflight @FLspaceflight]

NASA is laying more groundwork for a sustained return to the Moon.

The agency announced new Moon Base mission updates, commercial lunar lander awards, rover contracts, and drone scouts designed to support future Artemis operations near the lunar South Pole.

While these missions will operate on the Moon, they are directly tied to the Artemis campaign launching from Kennedy Space Center, where SLS, Orion, and Exploration Ground Systems remain central to NASA’s return-to-the-Moon plans.

Read more: https://t.co/2yky9C87kL

#NASA #Artemis #Moon #Spaceflight #KennedySpaceCenter #FloridaSpaceflight #LunarExploration #SpaceNews

[Florida Spaceflight @FLspaceflight]

🚀🇺🇸 LAUNCH ALERT — FALCON 9 🇺🇸🚀

SpaceX is targeting Memorial Day morning for the launch of Falcon 9 carrying the Starlink Group 10-47 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.

🛰 Mission: Starlink Group 10-47
📍 Launch Site: SLC-40
🕖 Launch Window: 7:41 AM-11:41 AM
🚀 Current T-0: 7:48 AM
🧭 Trajectory: Northeast

As we look to the skies this Memorial Day, we also take time to remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Their courage and dedication are the reason we have the freedom to explore, innovate, and inspire future generations. 🇺🇸

Today we honor those heroes while witnessing another incredible launch from Florida’s Space Coast.

We remember. We honor. ❤️🤍💙

#Falcon9 #SpaceX #Starlink #LaunchAlert #RocketLaunch #FloridaSpaceflight #CapeCanaveral #SpaceCoast #MemorialDay #MemorialDay2026 #Space #NASA #LaunchPhotography #Florida #SpaceLaunch #Aerospace #Rocketry #StarlinkLaunch #USA #AmericanFlag

[Florida Spaceflight @FLspaceflight]

Wow. Starship is totally a different animal

[Cameron Schwartz @nyoomtm]

Liftoff of Starship V3, from the dunes right outside the pad.

This is the most insane shockwave action I have ever seen on video. Absolutely mad.

📽️ Me for @WeAreSpaceScout