Space exploration is filled with setbacks, but the spectacular explosion of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket on Thursday night marked a significant blow to not only the company, which was founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos,

Blue Origin, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, was gearing up for a June launch to put a batch of Amazon "Leo" internet satellites into orbit.

A Blue Origin rocket exploded during a test at the launch pad Thursday night, shaking nearby homes and briefly painting the sky orange. Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin said its New Glenn rocket exploded during an engine-firing test.

The company, owned by Jeff Bezos, said its New Glenn rocket would launch this week. A second stage failure derailed the vehicle’s third flight last month.

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, sending an enormous fiery mushroom cloud into the sky.

The destroyed rocket had been due to deploy a batch of 48 satellites for Amazon's Leo broadband constellation — the network formerly known as Project Kuiper which is designed to challenge Elon Musk's Starlink.

Jeff Bezos’ space ambitions went up in flames on Thursday night when a Blue Origin rocket exploded in a massive fireball during testing at a Florida launch pad. The New Glenn rocket erupted around 9p.