Friday's rocket was carrying a Meridian-5 satellite, designed to provide communication between ships, planes and coastal stations on the ground, according to RIA Novosti.

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Despite the fact that we were crossing some of the most desolate terrain in the United States, we had access to hundreds of channels of satellite radio, turn-by-turn navigation, and voice communication to anywhere in the world.

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Due to the island's location, it is well-placed to support infrastructure relating to satellite operations, including base stations and communication hubs.

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The satellite and fiber-optic communication network, which has so far spread to 12 countries on the continent, is designed to provide connectivity between Indian institutions and 54 African countries, as well as facilitating easy video-conferencing among heads of states across Africa.

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The set was rudimentary: the control room of the satellite-communication center would be completed with computer-generated imagery, imagined by the Wachowskis down to the minutest detail.

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