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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 2166.PDF
FLIGHT International, 20 September 1962 501 manufacturing nucleus was being established at the company's Glenrothes plant in Fife, Scotland. "It is intended that, in due course," Gen Shoop said, "the British company will be in a position to supply components and sub-assemblies for Britain's coming generation of communication satellites." EQUATORIAL LAUNCH PLANNED IN US/ITALIAN PROGRAMME Plans for a joint US/Italian space programme involving a satellite launch from a towable platform in equatorial waters were confirmed on September 5 in an exchange of notes between US Vice-President Lyndon Johnson and the Italian Foreign Minister Attilio Piccioni. This agreement followed a memorandum of understanding between the Space Commission of the Italian National Council of Research and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration which was signed in Geneva on May 31 by Prof Luigi Broglio and Dr Hugh L. Dryden. The objective of the experiments is to perform high-altitude measurements of atmospheric and ionospheric characteristics. The proposed programme, designated Project San Marco, consists of three phases:— (1) Sounding-rocket launches to provide flight tests of the principal elements of the scientific payload. These launches will take place either at NASA's Wallops Island Station, Virginia, or from a San Marco platform (see diagram) located near the equator. (2) A prototype satellite payload will be placed in orbit by means of a Scout vehicle from Wallops Island. (3) The scientific satellite will be placed in an equatorial orbit by means of a Scout launched from a San Marco platform located in equatorial waters. Italian responsibility covers the following tasks: (1) support of Italian personnel for any training required in launching, tracking, data reduction and analysis and other elements: (2) design, fabrica tion and testing of all payloads, including satellite engineering; (3) studies and action to assure a mutually acceptable environment for transport, handling and launching of the Scout in the third phase of the programme: (4) availability, equipping, maintenance and operation of the San Marco platforms; (5) establishment of a suit able launch complex for the third phase of the programme, including range safety provisions; (6) launching the satellite in the third phase of the programme; (7) data analysis in all phases of the programme; (8) tracking and data acquisition faculties required in Phase 3 that are particular to this project and which are not avail able from NASA; and (9) support, logistics and all other costs peculiar to the San Marco project. In general the National Aeronautics and Space Administration will be responsible for: (1) provision of an appropriate sounding rocket and back-up for the first phase of the programme; (2) provision of Scout boosters with back-ups for the second and third phases of the programme; (3) such training of Italian personnel as may be feasible and as may be accommodated without significant incremental expense; (4) technical consultation as appropriate; (5) additional ground testing of payloads as required; (6) provision of data to facilitate effective design, fabrication and testing of the payloads; (7) tracking and data acquisition in the first and second phases of the programme as can be accomplished by existing NASA sounding rocket and unmanned satellite tracking and data acquisition facilities; and (8) provision of tracking and data acquisition services of the Quito, Ecuador, Minitrack station in Phase 3 of the programme, and such additional communications support at other locations as may be feasible on a non-interference basis, subject to the concurrence of any foreign governments involved. The San Marco launch complex will probably comprise two sea going platforms, one to serve as a launch pad and the other to house the command centre and personnel. Triangular in shape with heavily braced legs at each corner, the platforms would be towed to the chosen location with the legs partially retracted. Once anchored at the site, it is proposed to lower the legs to the sea bed so that they penetrate nearly 50ft into the sand bottom, thus Proposed design of Son Marco launch platform to be used in the joint US//to/ion programme (see text). The platform will be 185ft long, /52ft wide and 22ft high ensuring the stability of the remaining 115ft of legs supporting the platforms. The back of the triangular launch platform will face due east with a zero-length launch arm for Scout rockets fitted centrally between the corner leg supports. For loading, the arm mounting structure will hinge backwards towards the centre of the platform and will also run back several yards on a railed track. On each side of the platform will be a derrick for the purpose of taking aboard and assembling Scout components and ancillary equipment. The launching site will be just off the coast of Somalia. Although sponsored by the Italian Space Commission, the San Marco project does not seem to have received universal support in Italy. As a permanent launch base it would appear to have obvious limitations in that it allows for little expansion and could not easily be adapted to accommodate large rockets employing liquid propellants. A land site, situated on the equator, would not have these deficiencies. It is largely for this reason that criticism is being expressed of the way in which an Italian proposal of two years' standing for the establishment of an equatorial site at Kisimaio, Somalia, has been neglected by the Italian Space Commission following NASA proposals voiced at a sub-committee meeting of the UN space committee that an equatorial rocket range might be set up internationally. This model of the Royal Radar Establishment's 45ft diameter satellite tracking radar at Malvern was displayed by the Ministry of Aviation at the SBAC show at Farnborough
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