Blue Origin rocket explosion could damage Nasa's Moon timetable

Explosion of Blue Origin rocket is a setback for the company and for Nasa's Moon plans.

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Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket exploded at about 21:00 local time during a routine test of its engines.

The 98m (322ft) rocket had been due to launch 48 satellites for Amazon's Leo broadband network, as early as 4 June.

The explosion is obviously a big setback for the Leo network, which is struggling to be the main competitor for Elon Musk's SpaceX and its Starlink service. But the ramifications will go much further.

The good news was that no-one was injured, despite the spectacular explosion.