Blue Origin rocket explosion ripples 1,000 miles, infrasound study uncovers hidden power

The Blue Origin rocket explosion that shattered a Florida launchpad in May sent infrasound across more than 1,000 miles of U.S. territory, a new study shows.

Blue Origin rocket explosion

Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories tapped a network of 36 infrasound stations, the furthest perched in northeast Texas, ↓ 1,046 miles from Cape Canaveral. The low‑frequency pulse, invisible to human ears, allowed scientists to back‑calculate the blast’s yield at ↓ 0.131 kilotons of TNT – a magnitude slightly above the 1986 Chernobyl reactor explosion.

Fuel fraction and fireball

By analysing wave frequency, the team inferred that between ↓ 3‑6% of the cryogenic propellant detonated instantly, a figure that aligns with expectations for a fireball of this size.

“The event offered a rare chance to study a large, real‑world energetic release through infrasound,” said Elizabeth Silber, lead author, in a statement to Reuters.

The May 29 static‑fire test was meant to precede New Glenn’s fourth flight; instead the booster erupted, hurling flaming debris and a mushroom cloud that lit the night sky. No injuries were reported, but residents up to 135 miles away heard a thunderous boom, confirming the shockwave’s reach. The damage to Launch Complex 36 could keep the pad idle for ↓ 12 months, threatening schedules for NASA’s lunar‑base logistics that depend on New Glenn. While Blue Origin has paused further launches, the infrasound findings highlight a new monitoring tool for aerospace accidents, already used to track meteors and the return capsule of NASA’s OSIRIS‑Rx mission in 2023.