Rocket explosion at Cape Canaveral destroys Israel’s Amos 6

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded on its launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida Thursday, during preparations for a pre-launch static fire test of Israel’s Amos 6 communications satellite on Saturday, Sept. 3. “An anomaly on the pad resulted in the loss of the vehicle and its payload, a company spokesman Phil Larson said. The satellite was designed to provide direct satellite data services, including Facebook access, for areas of Africa, the Middle East and Europe.