FIFTY YEARS AGO, ITALY LAUNCHED THE SATELLITE SAN MARCO. THIRD COUNTRY IN THE WORLD TO CONQUER SPACE AFTER USSR AND USA

A Scout vector launched the San Marco-1, a ball of 66 centimetres with inside an instrument that measured the density of the atmosphere at the Nasa base in Wallops Island, on the east coast of the United States on December 15, 1964.


Italy was the third country in the world that put into orbit an artificial satellite after USSR and the United States of America. Don't be fooled that the vector was American: this vector was donated by the USA to Italy as a result of an agreement for the exchange of scientific data. All the rest was italian, not only the satellite, but also launch operations and control mission, were carried out by  Italian technicians.
All this was due to the genius pragmatist and a dreamer  Luigi Broglio, who developed an all Italian  space  activity  which continued for twenty years and realized long before others launch platforms equatorial, along the coast of Kenya from which a dozen other satellites departed with success .

The base in Kenya was operational from 1967 to late eighties. It was a period of great enterprises in Italy, pioneers in every field of science and technology (Natta for chemistry, Olivetti for electronics, etc. ).  A period of far-sighted and courageous men.Today you can hear the lack of people in this mold.
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