1 9 6 4 ▁and ▁then ▁from ▁a ▁space port ▁in ▁Ken ya ▁( San ▁Marco ▁Platform ) ▁between ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 8 ; ▁ ▁Italy ▁has ▁led ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁V ega ▁ro cket ▁programme ▁within ▁the ▁European ▁Space ▁Agency ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁The ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁abandoned ▁its ▁independent ▁space ▁launch ▁programme ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁in ▁favour ▁of ▁co - oper ating ▁with ▁the ▁European ▁La unch er ▁Development ▁Organisation ▁( EL DO ) ▁on ▁launch ▁techn ologies ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁Australia ▁abandoned ▁its ▁launch er ▁programme ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁successful ▁launch ▁of ▁W RES AT , ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁only ▁non - Europe an ▁member ▁of ▁EL DO . ▁ ▁Popular ▁culture ▁Science ▁fiction ▁often ▁de als ▁with ▁more ▁advanced ▁space f aring ▁cult ures , ▁and ▁the ▁opportun ities ▁and ▁challeng es ▁that ▁this ▁might ▁bring ▁to ▁such ▁soci eties . ▁ ▁One ▁example ▁is ▁Star ▁Tre k , ▁where ▁human ity , ▁though ▁already ▁space f aring , ▁is ▁still ▁struggling ▁to ▁adapt ▁to ▁inter stell ar ▁life , ▁and ▁in ▁many ▁cases , ▁politics . ▁ ▁An ▁additional ▁example ▁would ▁follow ▁the ▁prem ise ▁of ▁science ▁fiction ▁author ▁Larry ▁N iven . ▁In ▁his ▁short ▁story , ▁The ▁Four th ▁Prof ession ▁Mr . ▁N iven ▁post ul ates ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁a ▁space f aring ▁culture ▁of ▁trad ers ▁that ▁depend ▁in ▁part ▁on ▁the ▁technical ▁s oph