About two decades separate the launch of Sputnik (1957) and the creation

of the European Space Agency (1975). These two dates are considered to

mark the beginning and end of the early history of Italy in space.

In the wake of the Sputnik shock, Italy became involved very early on in a

remarkable effort in space affairs. Thanks to the brilliant work of the

physicist Edoardo Amaldi and aerospace engineer Luigi Broglio, Italy

began, in the late fifties, its effort at building up national space

institutions and at the same time cooperated in the creation of European

space organisations while fostering bilateral cooperation with the USA.

The history of the 'stop and go' development of the two major national

programmes, the San Marco project and SIRIO project, which defined the

sixties and seventies, is reconstructed, following the parallel growth of

Italy's involvement in the scientific and institutional activities of

European bodies.

For the first time, relations between science, the military, politics and

economics are explored, in order to understand why the "Italy of records"

- the nation which became the first country, following the USA and USSR,

to place in orbit a national satellite, operated by an all-Italian team -

failed to live up to this promising start.

The development of a national aerospace industry and of dedicated

infrastructure, such as the equatorial launch base and telemetry and

tracking ground stations, represents very constructive results from the

pionneering phase of the Italian enterprise in space. Nonetheless, the lack

of a coherent space policy prevented Italy from exploiting space activities

in such a way that they led to industrial innovation and economic

development.