Blue Origin pivots to redesigned launchpad after explosion in push to fly by end of 2026

Damage at the site of a launchpad after an uncrewed Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded during a test at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S., May 29, 2026. Joe Skipper | Reuters Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said the company is "not rebuilding the same pad" where one of its New Glenn rockets recently exploded, in order to make way for a return to flight this year. The company, started by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos , was conducting a hot-fire test of its massive New Glenn rocket at its Florida launch site last month when the aircraft erupted into a fireball. New Glenn is a key part of Blue Origin's effort to compete with Elon Musk 's SpaceX , which has established a significant lead with its reusable rockets and launch services. In a note posted to Blue Origin's website, Limp said the company intends to adopt a "horizontal/vertical hybrid" launch configuration, using existing infrastructure that was already in development for its larger, more powerful New Glenn variant, called the "9x4." "We take our responsibility as a launch provider very seriously, and we are committed to returning to flight with the reliability our mission demands," Limp wrote. Limp wrote in a post on X that the new pad configuration "has the added benefit of increasing our flight cadence as well." Blue Origin's New Glenn mishap was inconveniently timed. Blue Origin is a critical partner for NASA's Artemis program , which aims to return humans to the moon. …