An explosion occurred in a Blue Origin rocket during a test on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida, creating a massive fireball that engulfed the surrounding area. The space technology company founded by Jeff Bezos announced that all employees are safe, while relevant authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.

The incident took place at around 9:00 p.m. local time during a “hot-fire test” carried out ahead of a planned launch. Videos circulating on social media show the rocket exploding, with flames engulfing nearby facilities.

In a statement, Blue Origin said that during the test an “anomaly” occurred, confirming that all personnel have been accounted for and are safe. The company, founded in 2000 by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, did not provide further details about the cause.

Jeff Bezos himself stated via social media that all employees are safe and that the investigation is in its early stages. Elon Musk commented in solidarity under Bezos’s post “Ad astra per aspera,” meaning “through hardships to the stars.”

“It is too early to know the root cause, but we are already working to identify it. It was a very difficult day, but we will rebuild whatever needs to be rebuilt and return to flight. It is worth it,” he wrote.

The Brevard County Emergency Management Agency said there is no danger to the public, while the U.S. Space Force stated that emergency teams are on site and working with the company to collect and assess data to determine the exact cause of the explosion.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman described the incident as a reminder of the challenges involved in developing new space systems.

“Spaceflight does not forgive mistakes, and developing new heavy-lift rocket systems is extremely difficult. We will work with our partners to support a full investigation, assess the short-term impacts on missions, and return to launches,” he said.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it is aware of the incident, but clarified that the test was not conducted under operations requiring FAA licensing. It also noted that there was no impact on air traffic.

The event comes at a time when Blue Origin is already facing challenges in its development program. Just last month, the company’s newer generation rocket was temporarily grounded following an FAA-ordered investigation into a failed satellite launch attempt. At that time, Blue Origin attempted to place an AST SpaceMobile satellite into orbit with its New Glenn rocket but failed to reach the intended orbital position.

Despite recent setbacks, Blue Origin achieved a major success last November when it launched a New Glenn rocket from Florida and successfully landed its reusable booster for the first time — an important milestone for the company’s future space missions.