Matt PichtA SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blew up on the launchpad during a test run, taking its $200 million payload with it. That's bad news for SpaceX, and it's also not great for Facebook.
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The rocket was supposed to carry Spacecom's AMOS-6 communications satellite. Facebook was supposed to pay Spacecom $95 million to lease several frequencies covering Europe and Africa. That deal is now up in smoke.
The sunk deal sets back part of Facebook's Internet.org initiative, which is aimed at bringing Internet access to developing regions. The program is meant to swell and support the company's global userbase.
Now Facebook is going to miss out on extending its reach in sub-Saharan Africa, at least for now. Bloomberg notes the company's registered 84 million users in the region, but it has trouble with spotty infrastructure.
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Internet.org isn't just about satellites, though. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg pointed out the company still has its internet drones.
