New Delhi, May 29 -- A Blue Origin rocket erupted in a massive explosion during a ground test at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, creating a dramatic fireball that was captured on video and widely shared across social media.

The rocket involved in the incident was a New Glenn launch vehicle belonging to Jeff Bezos' space company, Blue Origin. The vehicle was undergoing an engine "hotfire test" on Thursday ahead of a planned future mission to deploy 48 Amazon Leo broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit.

While no launch date had been announced for the mission, the explosion represents a significant setback for one of Blue Origin's most important rocket programmes.

According to Blue Origin, the 320-foot New Glenn rocket was...