sounding rockets including the Nike Apache, Nike Tomahawk, Arcas and Black Brant launchers. Low payload weight orbital launches were also made, using the solid-propellant Scout rocket (in its B, D and G subvariants). The first satellite specifically for X-ray astronomy, Uhuru, was launched from San Marco on a Scout B rocket on 12 December 1970. The ground station is in use and continues to track NASA, ESA and Italian satellites, and Chinese crewed space missions. However, the two platforms fell into disrepair during the 1990s. Since then, the Italian Space Agency has conducted a feasibility study to reactivate it for the Russian launcher START-1. Satellite launches See also San Marco programme Luigi Broglio Scout Italian Space Agency Sea Launch Notes a. "Nel Marzo 2004, una Delegazione ASI e una Delegazione Russa sono state in visita al Centro Spaziale Luigi Broglio di Malindi, in Kenya, per verificare le condizioni tecniche di riutilizzo della base di lancio, mediante lanciatori russi, di tipo START-1. Il risultato della visita è stato estremamente positivo e le Parti hanno concordato sulla fattibilità di lancio dalle piattaforme marine." (In March 2004, a delegation from ASI and a Russian delegation went to visit the Luigi Broglio Space Center in Malindi, Kenya, to verify the technical conditions of re-use of the launch site for use by Russian launchers of the type START-1. The result of the visit has been extremely positive and both parties have agreed on the feasibility of launching from the marine platform.) References External links San Marco platform at Astronautix The San Marco Project Research Centre Information on the San Marco platform at Les Fusées en Europe (information in English; dead link, Retrieved 9 October 2008 from Internet Archive, last update in 2006) Spaceports Sea launch to orbit Space program of Italy Malindi Transport buildings and structures in Kenya Transport infrastructure completed in 1964 1964 establishments in Kenya