Updated
Updated · WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando · Jun 3
Patrick Space Force Base Clears Blue Origin to Assess New Glenn Blast Damage After Debris Spread 0.5 Mile
Updated
Updated · WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando · Jun 3

Patrick Space Force Base Clears Blue Origin to Assess New Glenn Blast Damage After Debris Spread 0.5 Mile

3 articles · Updated · WKMG News 6 & ClickOrlando · Jun 3

Summary

  • Sunday's clearance let Blue Origin enter Launch Complex 36 to assess damage from last week's New Glenn explosion, Patrick Space Force Base said in a Tuesday update.
  • Within 20 minutes, emergency crews had set accountability measures, and all personnel were accounted for within 30 minutes after the Thursday night blast.
  • Debris was recovered as far as 0.5 mile from the pad, while blast pressure broke windows at Hangar C and inspections of nearby structures are still underway.
  • Blue Origin's initial checks suggest the rocket's fuel tanks remained intact, but the Space Force said it is still too early to know whether non-Blue Origin facilities were damaged.
  • Soil and water sampling is continuing, and a resident hotline remains open for debris reports along the Space Coast, though officials said none had been received by Tuesday.

Insights

With its launchpad destroyed, can Blue Origin still support NASA's critical 2027 Artemis mission?
What does this catastrophic explosion reveal about Blue Origin's engineering philosophy compared to its rivals?