Massive New Glenn Explosion Lights Up Orlando Sky During NASA Mission Setback

A dramatic nighttime video filmed from downtown Orlando captured the distant explosion of Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket test on May 28, 2026.

The footage shows a calm body of water, likely Lake Eola, reflecting city lights beneath cloudy skies and a dark tree-lined horizon. Moments later, a brilliant orange and red glow suddenly erupted in the distance, rapidly growing into a massive fireball that lit up the clouds and sky in intense fiery colors.

The bright glow reflected across the water as the handheld camera slightly moved while the filmer reacted to the powerful sight.

The video matched the original post text, which stated, “From downtown Orlando my condolences to the engineer team.”

The explosion occurred during Blue Origin’s static fire test of the uncrewed New Glenn rocket at Launch Complex 36 in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

The 320-foot rocket, which was being prepared for a mission carrying Amazon Project Kuiper satellites, experienced a major anomaly and erupted into a massive fireball visible across central Florida. Homes along the Space Coast were shaken by the blast.

No injuries were reported, and the satellites were not onboard at the time. The incident marked a major setback for Jeff Bezos’ company and NASA’s Artemis program, which planned to use New Glenn for cargo transport and future lunar mission support.