New Glenn sat on the pad with the latent energy of a Hiroshima-class atomic bomb. But because it is a chemical rocket, that energy was released as a roaring, pad-melting inferno rather than a supersonic nuclear shockwave. Because a methane-oxygen rocket explosion is so rich in thermal energy, the visual appearance of the fireball, its roiling, incandescent, and massive scale, genuinely mimics the early, fiery "fireball" stage of the 1945 Trinity nuclear test or low-yield tactical nukes, right before those weapons form a classic mushroom cloud. The Energy Math: Rocket Fuel vs. Nukes The first stage of Blue Origin's New Glenn is a massive booster powered by liquid methane (LNG) and liquid oxygen (LOX).  • The Fuel Mass: A fully fueled New Glenn booster holds roughly 1,000 metric tons (1 million kg) of liquid methane.  • The Chemical Energy: Methane has a high energy density. Burning 1,000 tons of methane releases roughly 55 \times 10^{12} \text{ joules} of thermal energy.  • The TNT/Nuclear Equivalent: In terms of pure potential energy, that is equivalent to roughly 13 kilotons of TNT. For context, the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima had a yield of about 15 kilotons of TNT. Therefore, if every single molecule of New Glenn's methane perfectly mixed and detonated at once, it would mathematically equal the energy release of a tactical nuclear weapon.

Fulford Stresses Need for Property Tax Abatement for AK LNG Project Progress By Natalie Spaulding The House Finance Committee met May 26, 2026, to discuss HB 381 version T, a bill to restructure tax burdens for the Alaska LNG project. Senior Director of GaffneyCline Nicholas Fulford presented economic models and argued for a property tax abatement of at least ten years. Fulford has worked in the industry for 40 years and has worked on multiple LNG projects worldwide. Fulford emphasized the critical need for tax burden reduction during the first ten years for the project to appeal to investors. “The first 10 years is far more important than what you do after those ten years,” stated Fulford. When Representative Alyse Galvin (NA-Anchorage) questioned Fulford on the necessity of the 10 year abatement, Fulford replied, “The project will need 6-8 years to catch its breath” after major upfront costs. Full story in reply! #AKLNG