A photo of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket explosion by an eyewitness in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Business Insider

Mark Zuckerberg has responded to the SpaceX prelaunch test explosion that destroyed Facebook's first satellite on Thursday.

"As I'm here in Africa, I'm deeply disappointed to hear that SpaceX's launch failure destroyed our satellite that would have provided connectivity to so many entrepreneurs and everyone else across the continent," Zuckerberg said on his Facebook page.

Facebook wanted to use the $200 million AMOS-6 satellite to beam free internet to developing parts of the world like sub-Saharan Africa. The satellite was supposed to ride SpaceX's Falcon 9 into orbit.

"Fortunately, we have developed other technologies like Aquila that will connect people as well," the Facebook CEO said, referencing the company's drone project that's also designed to provide high-speed internet. "We remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided."

Here's Zuckerberg's post from 11 months ago announcing the satellite as part of Facebook's Internet.org connectivity program: