posted 11-03-2019 04:58 AM               

Space Cover 537: San Marco launch site

In the beginning of space era European countries interested in space activities realize a great problem to be solved: where install a space base in areas with low density of population when in Europe many regions are highly inhabited.

For this reason European countries as United Kingdom, France, Italy or Spain search for a place far of Europe in which developing their space programs in deserted or sparsely populated areas.

United Kingdom elected Woomera, in Australia, for the launches of rockets such Black Knight or Black Arrow; France elected Algeria, then a French colony in North Africa, for its space base. From Hammaguir, were launched rockets such Veronique and Diamant. After Algeria’s independence in 1962 France followed using this complex until 1967 when moved to Kourou, in French Guiana; Spain did not found an appropriate place and left its idea of a space base but Italy, in co-operation with USA, found an imaginative solution to put the first Italian satellite in orbit.

In 1962 NASA and Centro di Richerche Aerospaziali at University of Rome signed an agreement for the launch of first Italian satellite using Scout rockets. San Marco launch complex are two oil platforms –San Marco platform for rocket launches and Santa Rita platform as control center- were located in the Kenya’s coast.

From 1967 to 1975, with a separate and last launch in 1988, several Scout rockets were successfully launched with satellites as San Marco (Italy), Ariel (UK) or Explorer (USA).

It is a bit curious than Kenya with not a special link with Italy, was the chosen place near Equatorial range to develop its space programme safety.

Again Astrophilately acted as a notarial fact and thanks to several space covers (almost all of them cancelled in Malindi, Mombassa covers exist though), we can track those space launches from this exotic place.

Covers shown (from top to bottom) are: Nov 15th, 1971 Malindi for Explorer 45 launch; Nov 16th 1972 Malindi for Explorer 48 launch (also named SAS-B); Feb 14th, 1974 Malindi for San Marco C-2 launch and Mar 25th, 1988 Malindi for San Marco D launch.

A similar space launch site was adopted many years later by Sea Launch Corporation. But this history will be explained in a next SCOTW.