Blue Origin’s rocket explosion is a big setback for NASA’s moon goals

The giant explosion during a test of a Blue Origin rocket is a problem both for Jeff Bezos’ space company and for NASA.

The giant explosion of a Blue Origin rocket on Thursday evening is a major setback not only for Jeff Bezos’ space company but also for NASA, as it could delay efforts to land astronauts on the moon and begin construction of a base on the lunar surface.

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The company must now reckon with the loss of one of its few New Glenn rockets, the destruction of its only operational launch pad for those rockets, and what could be months or years of investigation and delays before the booster can return to flight.

NASA will face the same uncertainties. Blue Origin was expected to play a central role in the agency’s return-to-the-moon program. The company has been competing with SpaceX to build lunar landers that can transport astronauts from Earth orbit to the moon. NASA planned to test one or both of those commercially built landers during its Artemis III mission next year.