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San Marco

San Marco

San Marco
Credit: © Mark Wade

San Marco Launch Complex. In 1962 NASA signed an agreement with the Centro Ricerche Aerospaziali at the University of Rome creating the San Marco program. The purpose of the program was to place an Italian satellite in orbit and to create an Italian equatorial launch site for the Scout rocket. Permission was obtained from Kenya to emplace two modified oil platforms off their coast, on the equator. The Santa Rita platform would serve as a launch control center and would also be used for launch of sounding rockets. The San Marco platform would be dedicated to launch of Scout rockets to orbit.

First Launch: 1964-03-25. Last Launch: 1988-03-25. Number: 27 . Location: Formosa Bay. Longitude: 40.21 deg. Latitude: -2.94 deg.

Santa Rita, a triangular platform 40 m on a side, was towed from Italy to Kenya in the winter of 1963-1964 and emplaced in 20 m of water. The first launches of Nike Apache sounding rockets in the spring of 1964 proved the platform's systems. The San Marco platform, a 30 x 100 m rectangle, was emplaced in 1966 and the first Scout launch to orbit came in April 1967.

The site continued in use until 1988. It was not scrapped, as one potential Italian or European launcher program after another (Scout 2, Vega) created the possibility that funds would be made available to put it back in use. By 2003 the platforms were in a very decrepit state and the scrap yard beckoned.

Minimum Inclination: 2.0 degrees. Maximum Inclination: 3.0 degrees.



Subtopics

San Marco Rita Apache launch complex. Santa Rita Platform

Family: Orbital Launch Site, Tomahawk Sandia. Country: Kenya. Spacecraft: Ariel, San Marco satellite, SAS, SSS. Launch Vehicles: Nike Apache, Nike Tomahawk, Scout B, Super Arcas, Astrobee D, Scout B-1, Scout D-1, Scout F-1, Black Brant 8C, Scout G-1. Projects: Explorer. Launch Sites: San Marco Rita. Bibliography: 2, 572, 9530, 13058, 13059, 13060.
Photo Gallery

San MarcoSan Marco
Location of San Marco
Credit: © Mark Wade



1964 March 25 - . Launch Site: San Marco. Launch Complex: San Marco Rita. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.
1964 March 30 - . Launch Site: San Marco. Launch Complex: San Marco Rita. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.
1964 April 2 - . Launch Site: San Marco. Launch Complex: San Marco Rita. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.
1967 April 26 - . 10:06 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Scout. Launch Vehicle: Scout B.
1970 December 12 - . 10:53 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Scout. Launch Vehicle: Scout B.
1971 April 24 - . 07:32 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Scout. Launch Vehicle: Scout B.
1971 November 15 - . 05:52 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Scout. Launch Vehicle: Scout B.
1971 November 17 - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Tomahawk. Launch Vehicle: Nike Tomahawk.
1972 March 13 - . 16:00 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.
1972 March 14 - . 15:58 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.
1972 March 15 - . 16:00 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.
1972 March 16 - . 15:43 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.
1972 March 22 - . 08:22 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.
1972 November 15 - . 22:13 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Scout. Launch Vehicle: Scout D-1.
1972 November 28 - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Deacon. Launch Vehicle: Nike Apache.
1973 June 30 - . 13:07 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Tomahawk. Launch Vehicle: Nike Tomahawk.
1974 February 18 - . 10:05 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Scout. Launch Vehicle: Scout D-1.
1974 October 15 - . 07:47 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Scout. Launch Vehicle: Scout B-1.
1975 May 7 - . 22:45 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Scout. Launch Vehicle: Scout F-1.
1980 February 15 - . 08:25 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Arcas. Launch Vehicle: Super Arcas.
1980 February 16 - . 08:23 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Black Brant. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant 8C.
1980 February 16 - . 08:23 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Black Brant. Launch Vehicle: Black Brant 8C.
1980 February 16 - . 08:25 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Arcas. Launch Vehicle: Super Arcas.
1980 February 16 - . 08:25 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Astrobee. Launch Vehicle: Astrobee D.
1980 February 16 - . 09:10 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Arcas. Launch Vehicle: Super Arcas.
1980 February 16 - . 20:30 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Astrobee. Launch Vehicle: Astrobee D.
1988 March 25 - . 19:50 GMT - . Launch Site: San Marco. LV Family: Scout. Launch Vehicle: Scout G-1.

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