Today's SpaceX explosion is a major setback for Facebook's free internet ambitions

This morning, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded on its launch pad, completely destroying the rocket and its payload two days before the scheduled launch. The cause of the explosion is still unknown, but anyone counting on this weekend’s launch to deliver equipment into orbit is now left scrambling for a replacement.

That list of customers includes Facebook, which had contracted SpaceX to deliver the first Internet.org satellite into orbit. In partnership with the satellite firm Eutelsat, the new satellite (called AMOS-6) was set to deliver wireless connectivity to large portions of sub-Saharan Africa, a key element of Mark Zuckerberg’s plan to provide basic connectivity to the entire world. Experts valued the deal at $95 million, giving...