What does Blue Origin rocket mishap mean for Nasa's Moon mission?

Science correspondent Pallab Ghosh explains why the explosion is a setback for space exploration. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Copyright current_year BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. On the left, a rocket explosion. On the right, Pallab Bhosh wearing a dark blue jumper. On the left, a rocket explosion. On the right, Pallab Bhosh wrearing a dark blue jumper. What does Blue Origin rocket mishap mean for Nasa's Moon mission? A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded causing a huge fireball which lit up the skies over Florida on Thursday night. The space technology company, which was founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, said there were no injuries from the incident. But it's not just Bezos who will be concerned about the mishap, Nasa hopes the rocket will play a key part in its plans to return to the Moon, as science correspondent Pallab Ghosh explains. A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on a launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida on Thursday night. The plans include permanent human habitation on the Earth's only natural satellite by 2032. The crew held its first press conference since splashing down from their historic 10-day trip. Newly released video shows the moment the hatch of Artemis II's Orion capsule is unlocked to a joyful reunion with the four astronauts. The four astronauts flew around the Moon in a nine-day voyage that took them further from Earth than any humans in history. The Orion spacecraft is scheduled to bring the Artemis II crew back to Earth on 10 April. The Orion spacecraft is expected to splash down off the coast of San Diego on 10 April. Jeremy Hansen received a call from the prime minister as Canada's first astronaut to travel into deep space as part of the Artemis II mission. The BBC’s Science Editor Rebecca Morelle has spoken to the Artemis II crew ahead of their likely splashdown on Saturday. The four astronauts in the Orion spacecraft set a new record for distance travelled from Earth. Once contact was regained, astronaut Christina Koch said: "It is so great to hear from Earth again." The crew broke a previous record of 248,655 miles (400,171km) set by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970, and they are still heading further away from Earth. Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman's wife died from cancer in 2020 at age 46. Astronauts on the Artemis II mission are on the third day of their journey around the far side of the Moon. The crew will not land on the Moon on this current mission, though Nasa is preparing for a potential lunar landing by 2028. The crew on board the Artemis II spoke by video link, sharing messages for their families and experiences of the trip so far. The US is aiming to be the first country to land humans on the lunar surface again by 2028 - so what's this mission for? Nasa astronauts conducted a number of different tests on board the Orion spacecraft - including practising manoeuvring the capsule. People on a commercial flight were treated to a rare view of the launch of Nasa's first crewed mission to the Moon in half a century. Science editor Rebecca Morelle watched from just three miles away as the most powerful rocket ever built blasted off from Florida. In a video message from Buckingham Palace, wildlife helps the King deliver a birthday card for Sir David Attenborough. The forest where the Sumatran orangutans live has been split by a road. Steve Backshall spotted two of the UK's last surviving orcas which he described as one of his "greatest British wildlife moments". France's Eiffel Tower and Barcelona's Sagrada Família Basilica were among the famous global landmarks that went dark for an hour on Saturday night. The 98m tall Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft made a four mile journey from their assembly building to Pad 39B at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Tenerife hit by snow as Storm Therese batters Canary Islands BBC science correspondent Pallab Ghosh explains what happens if an astronaut gets ill in space. From meteor showers to supermoons, here are some of the sights that wowed stargazers this year. The Met Office has issued yellow severe weather warnings for both wind and rain. Baroness Kathy Willis talks about the importance of green and blue spaces in cities. Studying samples from the ice sheet gives an environmental record of over a million years. The animal rights activist has died aged 91, after a pioneering career studying chimps. President Trump has suggested this week that wind power is the reason for rising energy bills in the UK. BBC Verify's Ben Chu takes a look at the data. London Zoo in Regent's Park holds its annual animal weigh-in, with zookeepers weighing and measuring over 10,000 animals to monitor their health and wellbeing. The astronomical event was captured on camera at North York Moors National Park on 13 August. Storm Floris to bring 'unseasonably strong gusty' wind to UK