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.

The mishap, ‌which occurred during a test fire of the engines for the New Glenn rocket's launch next week, comes at a critical time ‌for Jeff Bezos' business empire.