Page 5 - Italy In Space
P. 5
SAN MARCO Programme (3)
November 15, 1971. The NASA SSS (Small Scientific Satellite, a.k.a. Explorer-45) was put into an
elliptical orbit by a Scout launcher, to study the electrical and magnetic fields in the Van Allen belt.
For the first time there was an inversion of roles between Europe and the U.S. The Italian launching
team was awarded by NASA as “best launching team of the year". Commemorative cover cancelled in
Malindi, Kenya. with red rubber non-postal stamp of the Italian Missile range.
November 16, 1972. The NASA scientific satellite SAS-B (Small Astronomy Satellite, a.k.a. Explorer-
48), was launched from the San Marco platform. using a Scout B launcher. SAS-B traced the first map
of gamma ray sources in our galaxy and also gathered very important data on extra-galactic gamma ray
sources. Commemorative cover postmarked on the date of launch in Malindi, Kenia, The special blue
rubber stamp of the mission was added.
4
