NASA Administrator reveals cause of powerful New Glenn rocket explosion

03:55 / 06.07.2026·37·Technology

Details have been revealed regarding the disaster involving Blue Origin's heavy-lift New Glenn rocket, considered one of the major projects in space exploration. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced preliminary findings stating that malfunctions in the engine assembly caused the powerful explosion that occurred in May. This incident is expected to have a serious impact not only on the private company but also on the entire US lunar program plans. This is reported by Ixbt.com reports .

According to Politico and ixbt.com, NASA specialists were involved in the investigation from the very first days of the incident. Currently, Blue Origin engineers are focusing their efforts on analyzing technical flaws in the engine system in cooperation with agency experts. Jared Isaacman emphasized that the agency will continue to provide all necessary technical assistance to the company.

Technical malfunction and scale of the explosion

As a reminder, the New Glenn rocket exploded on May 28, 2026, during static fire tests. The explosion was so powerful that its flash was clearly visible 190 kilometers away from the scene, on the other side of the state. Such a release of energy also caused serious damage to the launch pad.

Currently, the main focus is on identifying which part of the engine malfunctioned. According to the NASA Administrator, Blue Origin will deploy all resources to resolve the issues, restore the launch pad, and restart testing. However, it is clear that these processes will require significant time and resources.

Impact on the lunar program and future plans

This accident could delay the participation of Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, in the NASA-partnered lunar program by at least a year. The New Glenn rocket was seen as a crucial link in this mission. This news is also noteworthy for space enthusiasts and experts, as the race between competitors SpaceX and Blue Origin serves to lower the cost of space technologies.

NASA leadership continues to express confidence in the company's technical potential. Jared Isaacman noted that such failures in the space industry are a difficult but necessary stage in perfecting new technologies. The agency does not intend to stop cooperation with Blue Origin, and the project will be continued once all safety measures are taken.