Israel’s satellite communications program, which was stung by the loss of its newest and most sophisticated communications satellite – valued at more than $200 million – atop the SpaceX rocket that exploded on the Cape Canaveral launch pad on Thursday – was already the subject of an investigation by the State Comptroller even before the latest disaster. The daily newspaper Haaretz reported concerns about “serious long-term planning gaps in the development of such satellites.” The explosion occurred during a test firing of the Falcon9 rocket some 48-hours prior to its scheduled launch. The loss of the AMOS-6 satellite, built by Israel Aerospace Industries, is considered to be a major loss the full repercussions of which are not public knowledge. The other entity to suffer from the loss is Facebook, which stood to increase its coverage into remote areas of Africa currently beyond its reach. Media reports suggest the project planners did not include a back-up satellite that could be used in the event of such a disaster. Although the question is being widely asked, there has been no discussion of sabotage and terrorism as reasons for the explosion of the rocket.