San Marco Credit - © Mark Wade

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.

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. San March was used for at least 27 launches from 1964 to 1988.

• Rita - Latitude: -2.9386 deg. Longitude: 40.2100 deg. Used by: Apache. First Launch: 1964-03-25. Last Launch: 1964-04-02. Number Launches: 3. Santa Rita Platform

1967 April 26 - 10:06 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Scout. Scout B S153C San Marco 2 Mass: 129 kg (284 lb). Spacecraft: San Marco. Agency: CRS. Perigee: 219 km (136 mi). Apogee: 741 km (460 mi). Inclination: 2.90 deg. Period: 94.20 min. Atmospheric density data. Scientific satellite launched from a mobile range off Formosa Bay (Kenya).

1970 December 12 - 10:53 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Scout. Scout B S175C Explorer 42 Mass: 143 kg (315 lb). Spacecraft: SAS. Agency: NASA GSF. Perigee: 521 km (323 mi). Apogee: 570 km (350 mi). Inclination: 3.00 deg. Period: 95.50 min. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).

1971 April 24 - 07:32 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Scout. Scout B S173C San Marco 3 Mass: 164 kg (361 lb). Spacecraft: San Marco. Agency: CRS. Perigee: 222 km (137 mi). Apogee: 707 km (439 mi). Inclination: 3.20 deg. Period: 93.80 min. Atmospheric research. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).

1971 November 15 - 05:52 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Scout. Scout B S163CR Explorer 45 Mass: 52 kg (114 lb). Spacecraft: SSS. Agency: NASA GSF. Perigee: 272 km (169 mi). Apogee: 18,149 km (11,277 mi). Inclination: 3.20 deg. Period: 322.80 min. Studies magnetosphere, energetic particles. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).

1971 November 17 - Launch Vehicle: Tomahawk Sandia. Nike Tomahawk NASA 18.103GA Aeronomy mission Agency: NASA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

1972 March 13 - 16:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Apache. ISRC-PO-4 Aeronomy mission Agency: ISRC. Apogee: 185 km (114 mi).

1972 March 14 - 15:58 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Apache. ISRC-PO-5 Aeronomy mission Agency: ISRC. Apogee: 185 km (114 mi).

1972 March 15 - 16:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Apache. ISRC-PO-6 Aeronomy mission Agency: ISRC. Apogee: 185 km (114 mi).

1972 March 16 - 15:43 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Apache. ISRC-PO-7 Aeronomy mission Agency: ISRC. Apogee: 185 km (114 mi).

1972 March 22 - 08:22 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Apache. ISRC-PO-9 Ionosphere mission Agency: ISRC. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

1972 November 15 - 22:13 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Scout. Scout D-1-F S170CR Explorer 48 Mass: 185 kg (407 lb). Spacecraft: SAS. Agency: NASA GSF. Perigee: 526 km (326 mi). Apogee: 526 km (326 mi). Inclination: 1.00 deg. Period: 95.20 min. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).

1972 November 28 - Launch Vehicle: Apache. Ionosphere / aeronomy mission Agency: NASA. Apogee: 200 km (120 mi).

1973 June 30 - 13:07 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Tomahawk Sandia. Solar extreme ultraviolet mission Agency: ISRC. Apogee: 270 km (160 mi).

1974 February 18 - 10:05 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Scout. Scout D-1-F S190C San Marco 4 Mass: 164 kg (361 lb). Spacecraft: San Marco. Agency: CRS. Perigee: 270 km (160 mi). Apogee: 875 km (543 mi). Inclination: 2.90 deg. Period: 96.10 min. Measurement of density, temperature, composition of atmosphere. Launch time 10:05:28.5 GMT. Anticipated life: 3 years.

1974 October 15 - 07:47 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Scout. Scout B-1 S187C Ariel 5 Mass: 129 kg (284 lb). Spacecraft: Ariel. Agency: UK SRC. Perigee: 504 km (313 mi). Apogee: 549 km (341 mi). Inclination: 2.90 deg. Period: 94.90 min. X-ray observatory. Cosmic X-ray astronomy. Injection point: 2.7S, 58.2E. Anticipated life: 5 years. Time of launch: 07:47:00.25 GMT. Decay also (belatedly) noted in ST/SG/SER.E/216.

1975 May 7 - 22:45 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Scout. Scout F-1 S194C Explorer 53 Mass: 195 kg (429 lb). Spacecraft: SAS. Agency: NASA GSF. Perigee: 498 km (309 mi). Apogee: 507 km (315 mi). Inclination: 3.00 deg. Period: 94.70 min. Spacecraft engaged in research and exploration of the upper atmosphere or outer space (US Cat B).

1980 February 15 - 08:25 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Arcas. Super Arcas NASA 15.200UE Plasma mission Agency: NASA. Apogee: 88 km (54 mi).

1980 February 16 - 08:23 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Black Brant. Black Brant 8C NASA 27.43AS LASL Eclipse La Solar eclipse mission Agency: NASA. Apogee: 319 km (198 mi).

1980 February 16 - 08:23 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Black Brant. Black Brant 8C NASA 27.42AS LASL Eclipse La Solar eclipse mission Agency: NASA. Apogee: 298 km (185 mi).

1980 February 16 - 08:25 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Astrobee. Astrobee D NASA 23.17UE Plasma mission Agency: NASA. Apogee: 78 km (48 mi).

1980 February 16 - 08:25 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Arcas. Super Arcas NASA 15.201UE Plasma mission Agency: NASA. Apogee: 84 km (52 mi).

1980 February 16 - 09:10 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Arcas. Super Arcas NASA 15.202UE Plasma mission Agency: NASA. Apogee: 78 km (48 mi).

1980 February 16 - 20:30 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Astrobee. Astrobee D NASA 23.18UE Plasma mission Agency: NASA. Apogee: 76 km (47 mi).