Blue Origin rocket explosion sent sound waves 1,000 miles across the US, report finds ...Middle East

News by : (Live Science) -

New Glenn is the largest and most powerful of Blue Origin's commercial rockets. It stands at 320 feet (98 meters) tall, roughly the same size as NASA's Space Launch System (most recently used during the Artemis II mission), and is designed to compete with SpaceX's supersized Starship rockets. New Glenn has launched into space three times: first in January 2025; then again in November 2025, when it launched a pair of NASA spacecraft to Mars; and finally in April this year, when it reached space but failed to deploy a giant communication satellite. During the second launch, Blue Origin successfully landed the rocket's reusable booster on Earth, making it the second company to achieve this feat, after SpaceX.

The fiery failure is believed to be one of the most powerful prelaunch explosions ever seen. The damage caused to the launchpad alone could take at least a year to fix, according to Ars Technica. This not only affects Blue Origin's ability to launch rockets but could also delay NASA's proposed moon base, which will rely on New Glenn to launch some of its components.

New Glenn first launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Jan. 16, 2025, and successfully deployed one of Blue Origin's prototype spacecraft platforms in low Earth orbit. (Image credit: U.S. Space Force)

In a new study, published Aug. 12 in the journal The Seismic Record, researchers analyzed data from special listening stations across the U.S. for signs of infrasound — ultra-low-frequency sound below the range of human hearing — that coincided with the blast. At least 36 stations picked up infrasound signals from the explosion, the farthest of which was located in northeast Texas, about 1,046 miles (1,684 km) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Based on the frequency and travel distance of the sound waves, the researchers estimated that the explosion had the equivalent power of 0.131 kilotons (144 U.S. tons) of TNT, which is slightly higher than the initial blast that destroyed the nuclear reactor at Chornobyl in 1986, according to a 2009 study.

The most recent New Glenn launch occurred on April 19 this year, when the rocket made it to space but failed to properly deploy a communications satellite. (Image credit: Paul Hennesy/Anadolu via Getty Images)

RELATED STORIES

'Catastrophic' SpaceX Starship explosion tore a hole in the atmosphere in 1st-of-its-kind eventAfter 54-year wait, Australia's first attempt at an orbital rocket crashes 14 seconds after liftoffOops! Russia accidentally destroys its only working launch pad as astronauts lift off to ISS

The researchers believe that infrasound is an underutilized and potentially valuable tool for tracking spacecraft accidents or other large explosions across the globe.

The same team has also previously used the low-frequency sound waves to track meteors and spacecraft as they enter Earth's atmosphere, including the return capsule of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission in 2023.

Hence then, the article about blue origin rocket explosion sent sound waves 1 000 miles across the us report finds was published today ( ) and is available on Live Science ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Blue Origin rocket explosion sent sound waves 1,000 miles across the US, report finds )

Last updated :

Also on site :

Most Viewed News
جديد الاخبار