Aerospace company SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, faced a major setback as one of its unmanned rockets has exploded ahead of its scheduled launch on Saturday. No casualties were reported from the explosion. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station reported that the explosion was "significant." The rocket was being prepared for its test firing.

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The explosion took place on a launch pad located in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The powerful blast sent the shockwaves through several miles. It also caused heavy smoke plumes. According to NPR, Cape Canaveral Air Station reported that there is no threat to the public safety. SpaceX has blamed "an anomaly on the pad" for the accident.

The communication satellite, scheduled to be launched at 3 AM ET on Saturday, was meant to amplify internet access in Africa. According to the BBC, the Israel-made Amos-6 satellite was part of Facebook's Internet.org initiative. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said that he was "deeply disappointed." The satellite was valued at more than $200 million.

SpaceX has experienced similar setbacks in the past.

The company has the ambition of developing a colony on Mars, among other things. Musk is scheduled to disclose the blueprint for the endeavor later this month.