NASA, Blue Origin Set to Rebuild After Explosion Brings Moon Plans Into Question

The accident destroyed the only launch pad built to launch the rocket assigned to fly NASA’s Moon Base I mission to the lunar south pole in a matter of months.

The Blue Origin New Glenn rocket lifts off from LC36 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on April 19, 2026. AP Photo/John Raoux

When Blue Origin’s rocket exploded on its Florida launch pad last week, it brought the launch capabilities of a chosen workhorse of NASA’s Moon Base missions to a complete halt.

No one was killed or hurt, but the accident destroyed the only launch pad designed to launch the rocket selected to kick off NASA’s Moon Base I mission to the lunar south pole that was due to launch in a matter of months, as well as deliver a critical component of the Artemis III mission into low Earth orbit the following year.