One of the world's most powerful rocket engines, the BE-4, dramatically exploded 10 seconds after the start of testing

BE-4 is one of the most powerful rocket engines. It was developed by Blue Origin. At the end of June 2023, it became the cause of an unpleasant incident that occurred during propulsion tests.

Here's What We Know

On the last day of June, Blue Origin was testing the engine at a site in Texas. The media reported in a "dramatic explosion". It occurred 10 seconds after the tests began, destroying the engine and damaging infrastructure.

Blue Origin was preparing the BE-4 for the second launch of the Vulcan Centaur rocket. CNBC reports that the company confirmed the information about the engine explosion during a test on 30 June. It is also noted that there were no injuries, thankfully.

Blue Origin is now looking into the causes of the incident and taking steps to prevent something like this from happening in the future. The company said it immediately notified ULA (a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, the operator of the Vulcan Centaur rocket) of the engine explosion.

The Vulcan Centaur rocket is also experiencing problems. In March, the upper stage exploded as part of a test. This caused the launch date for the new mission to be postponed indefinitely from May. ULA is expected to reveal launch details as early as today or tomorrow.

The BE-4 is not just intended for the Vulcan Centaur. The engine will be installed in Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket. The date of the first launch has not yet been specified, although the launch was originally scheduled for 2020.

Source: space