NYSE:AEP

May 29, 2026, 7:31 AM EDT. A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded during engine testing at Florida's Kennedy Space Center, damaging the launch pad and casting doubt on NASA's Moon mission schedule. The 98m rocket was set to deploy 48 satellites for Amazon's Leo broadband network and play a critical role in NASA's lunar base plans. The damage to Space Launch Complex 36, Blue Origin's sole New Glenn launch site, is expected to take months to repair. NASA had scheduled the Blue Moon Mark 1 lander to launch on a New Glenn rocket by autumn 2026 as part of its lunar base efforts. Additionally, Blue Origin holds a $468 million contract to deliver lunar rovers by 2028, ahead of crewed moon landings. The setback raises concerns about meeting NASA's 2028 crewed lunar landing goal amid competition from SpaceX's Starlink.