A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded Thursday night at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, sending a bright plume of fire into the sky and rattling homes miles away. The incident occurred at 9 p.m. during a pre-planned hotfire test at Space Launch Complex 36. Officials confirmed no injuries, but the explosion likely caused significant damage to the launchpad. The blast was so powerful that witnesses reported feeling the ground shake and seeing the sky illuminated like daylight. "It looked like it went to daylight with just multi colors everywhere," said Kelly Stutts, a witness who described the scene from her home. "It just went up into flames, and then it went like horizontally, like farther out." Two rocket launches were scheduled for Friday from Florida’s Space Coast: a SpaceX Falcon 9 at 8 a.m. and a ULA Atlas V at 7:33 p.m. The New Glenn rocket was not among them. The explosion raises uncertainty about the future of the New Glenn, which was intended for NASA’s Artemis lunar program and the ESCAPADE Mars mission. The rocket, designed as a heavy-lift vehicle for deep-space missions, now faces questions about its readiness. Officials are still assessing the damage. Other witnesses told local media the explosion’s shockwave was felt from several miles away. The incident comes as Blue Origin prepares for future launches, but the setback could delay timelines for missions dependent on the New Glenn. The company has not yet released a statement on the incident or next steps. The explosion is the latest in a series of challenges faced by the commercial space industry as it pushes to expand its presence on the Space Coast. As investigations continue, the focus shifts to whether the New Glenn can meet its goals for NASA and other clients.