Facebook’s Internet satellite set to blast into orbit Sept. 3

Facebook’s first satellite, which would beam Internet service from space to unconnected residents of Africa, is scheduled to blast off Sept. 3 aboard a rocket launched by SpaceX, billionaire Elon Musk’s commercial space company. French satellite operator Eutelsat confirmed the launch date Wednesday, tweeting that the satellite would deliver a “powerful new broadband platform for Eutelsat and #Facebook in Africa.” Facebook representatives declined to comment, instead citing CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s October post announcing the Menlo Park company’s deal with Eutelsat and its plans to beam Internet access from space to “large parts of West, East and Southern Africa.” More

(Source: San Francisco Chronicle - Aug 25)