What does the San Marco launch site look like?

The San Marco launch site is located in Ngwana Bay on the east coast of Kenya in eastern Africa. There is a huge offshore platform 4.8 kilometers away from the coast. This is the San Marco Space Launch Site that the Italian government commissioned the Aerospace and Aerospace Research Center of the University of Rome to build and manage. The San Marco launch site is located at 2.9 degrees south latitude and 40.3 degrees east longitude. It is the closest space launch site to the equator and the only sea launch site in the world.

"Sacred Symbol"

The maritime launch site is different from the land launch site. The pillars of the launch pad of the sea launch site are completely fixed on the continental shelf of the vast ocean, and the platform is exposed out of the water. Similar to an offshore oil drilling platform. Satellites and rockets are transported by large ships and then installed on the launch pad for launch.

The Italian national space project was conceived in the 1960s. In 1962, the research team decided to build a launch platform in non-territorial waters. Italy's state-owned oil company was able to take on this important task and named it "Saint Mark". In this way, Italy's first space project, San Marco, was also founded. Named after this, the project originally signed a cooperation agreement on the San Marco project with NASA and the University of Rome in 1962. Cooperation with NASA includes an initial phase that does not yet involve direct contact with sea bases. The research team was very satisfied with the name San Marco, because Saint Mark is the patron saint of Venice and also means the patron saint of seafarers.

In the mid-1960s, Italy established the first civilian mobile equatorial launch site in the Indian Ocean, the San Marco platform. It includes two different types of platforms. One serves as the launch pad and the other is the command post that controls the launch. The San Marco launch site was put into use in 1966 and was originally used for the launch of the "Scout" launch vehicle (SCS: Space Communication Satellite) developed by the United States. The United States uses the "Scout" launch vehicle mainly to launch the "Explorer" orbital probe, Space Electric Rocket Test satellite (SERT: Space Electric Rocket Test) and military secret satellites. It also launches some scientific exploration and experimental satellites for European countries. Satellites, for example, include the "San Marco" 2 small scientific exploration satellite and the "San Marco" 6 satellite developed by Italy, as well as the British "Ariel" series of satellites, France's "France" 1 satellite and Sent into equatorial orbit, etc.

Because it is the only usable sea launch site in the world so far, and has launched secret military satellites for the United States, the San Marco launch site has also become the material for the creation of some science fiction novelists - some people put it It is described as a base for the United States to conduct space operations, some describe it as a target for future combat strikes, and others describe it as a beautiful seaside town.

Superior location

The San Marco launch site mainly consists of a launch platform, a control platform and a land assembly camp. The launch platform is a rectangular steel offshore platform, 91 meters long, 28 meters wide, 4 meters deep, weighing 2,500 tons, and has a deck capacity of 5,000 tons. In order to further stabilize the platform and enable it to withstand the huge recoil force during launch, the platform is equipped with 20 steel caisson columns, which are driven into the seabed by a pneumatic system. The normal power supply system of the launch pad is powered by eight 100-kilowatt diesel generators. After the launch enters the countdown, the control system switches to the submarine cable power transmission mode to ensure the safety and reliability of the power supply. This 3,000-square-meter offshore platform is equipped with facilities and equipment such as the "Scout" rocket launcher, sounding rocket launcher, assembly test room, and various levels of launch vehicle warehouses. The control platform is also built on the sea and is converted from an oil drilling platform. It is 920 meters away from the launch platform. The platform is in the shape of an equilateral triangle with each side 40 meters long and is inserted into the seabed by three support frames. The control platform is equipped with equipment such as a launch control center, spacecraft control center, telemetry station, radar and self-destruction command launch system. It is the nerve center of the entire launch site.

(2) The function of the manned spacecraft assembly and testing plant is similar to the launch vehicle assembly and testing part of the final assembly and testing plant. In addition, special facilities for manned spacecraft air tightness testing, astronaut medical supervision and medical support equipment rooms, astronaut food storage and inspection rooms and payload equipment rooms have been added.

(3) The special measurement equipment detection and test area is used for the detection and calibration of the manned spacecraft rendezvous and docking radar function, and the detection and calibration of the return module (orbiter, lander) near-Earth altimetry system. The astronaut training and living area is used for astronaut training and life management. Built in an elegant and secluded location. The area has a complete range of medical supervision and medical support equipment, as well as supporting living and entertainment facilities, making it easy to adopt closed management. Hub departments such as measurement control, communications, command, monitoring, control, time unified service and service management are generally located in the center of the launch site area.

Brilliant prospects

Although the San Marco launch site has its unique geographical advantage, because the launch site can only launch small spacecraft, in the current equatorial orbit, large-scale launches are With satellites being the main application, there are not many opportunities for the San Marco launch site to display its capabilities. However, technically speaking, the San Marco launch site can put spacecraft into equatorial orbit in the most economical and fastest way, and also has the ability to quickly attack spacecraft in equatorial orbit. From a combat perspective, the launch site is small and easy to protect. Although its mobile design has not been fully realized, it should be mobile, which can increase its flexibility and survivability. In the not-too-distant future, when miniaturized spacecraft become the focus of development in the aerospace field of various countries, the San Marco Launch Site will surely have great achievements.