A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded during a prelaunch static-fire test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

A Blue Origin New Glenn rocket has dramatically exploded on the launchpad during a test, in a setback for Jeff Bezos’ space venture as it seeks to narrow the gap with Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

The setback comes just days after Nasa's administrator, Jared Isaacman, announced the first three missions of the agency's plans to build a lunar base - a project he billed as the start of a "permanen...