Blue Origin New Glenn rocket explodes into fireball during test launch in Florida

A rocket built by Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos' company Blue Origin appears to have exploded during a test on a launch pad in Florida.

Footage from NASA's live stream shows the Blue Origin New Glenn rocket bursting into flames on the launch pad about 9pm local time at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The rocket was destroyed in the blast within 14 seconds of the test launch, sending an enormous fireball high into the sky.

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Blue Origin had been performing a static fire test ahead of its fourth attempt at launching the nearly 100-metre-tall so-called "mega-rocket".

No humans were on board the rocket during the test.

It is unknown if anybody was injured in the explosion.

The rocket was being prepared for a later launch to deliver Amazon Leo satellites into low-Earth orbit as part of the company's broadband constellation in space.

Its official launch date had not yet been scheduled.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had previously approved the New Glenn to fly again following a failure during the April test launch.

At the time, Blue Origin said it had implemented corrective measures after the rocket "experienced an off-nominal thermal condition, and, as a result, one of the BE-3U engines didn't achieve full thrust to reach our target orbit".

NASA and Blue Origin are yet to comment publicly on the failed launch.

Bezos' space company has also been contracted to assist in NASA's upcoming lunar missions.

Blue Origin was selected to send its Blue Moon Mark 1 Endurance landers to deliver the first NASA equipment to the surface.

A $US188 million ($267 million) contract was awarded to Blue Origin for this mission.