Mark Zuckerberg Seems Pretty Cross After SpaceX Rocket Explosion Destroys Facebook Satellite

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is “deeply disappointed” after a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded on the launchpad, destroying Facebook’s first satellite.

The unmanned rocket’s explosive demise happened during a test fire two days prior to its scheduled launch.

The Amos 6 telecommunications satellite would have provided free internet coverage to remote areas in sub-Saharan Africa as part of Facebook’s Internet.org initiative.

The project aims to provide affordable internet access in countries with less developed telecomms infrastructures.

Elon Musk’s space company confirmed that the launchpad explosion was the result of an as yet undisclosed ‘anomaly’ on the launchpad, rather than a problem with the rocket itself.

Shortly after the incident, Zuckerberg posted a rather passive-aggressive statement on Facebook saying: “As I’m here in Africa, I’m deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX’s launch failure destroyed our satellite that would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent.

“Fortunately, we have developed other technologies like Aquila that will connect people as well. We remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided”.

The company’s solar-powered Aquila plane is designed to beam internet to remote regions around the globe, and completed its first test flight in August 2016.

No one was injured during the SpaceX explosion, but both the rocket and satellite were destroyed, causing major setbacks for the space firm and Zuckerberg’s satellite project.

Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images