# San Marco

> series of five Italian artificial satellites

**Wikidata**: [Q644189](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q644189)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/san-marco-q644189

## Summary
San Marco is a series of five Italian artificial satellites designed for scientific research. Classified as a spacecraft family, it is part of the broader San Marco programme. The series is historically significant for including San Marco 1, which was the first Italian satellite.

## Key Facts
*   **Classification:** San Marco is a spacecraft family and a subclass of research satellite (artificial satellite designed for scientific research).
*   **Composition:** The series consists of five artificial satellites.
*   **Programme:** It is part of the San Marco programme.
*   **Key Milestone:** The series includes San Marco 1, the first Italian satellite.
*   **Sequence:** The series includes San Marco 2, the second Italian satellite.
*   **Identifier:** The entity has the Google Knowledge Graph ID `/g/1213hrk4`.
*   **Wikidata Description:** "series of five Italian artificial satellites."

## FAQs
### Q: What is the San Marco entity?
A: San Marco is defined as a series of five Italian artificial satellites. It is classified as a spacecraft family rather than a single object.

### Q: What type of satellites are included in this series?
A: The series consists of research satellites, which are artificial satellites designed specifically for scientific research. It includes both the first and second Italian satellites (San Marco 1 and San Marco 2).

### Q: What programme does San Marco belong to?
A: The series is a component of the San Marco programme.

## Why It Matters
The San Marco series represents a foundational era in Italy's technological and scientific history. As a family of research satellites, it signifies Italy's entry into the space age and its commitment to scientific inquiry beyond Earth's atmosphere. The series is critically important for national milestones; it produced San Marco 1, distinguished as the first Italian satellite, and San Marco 2, the second. These achievements established Italy's capability to design, build, and deploy artificial satellites for research purposes. By operating as part of the dedicated San Marco programme, this spacecraft family contributed to the broader understanding of space environments through the use of artificial satellite technology.

## Notable For
*   **First Italian Satellite:** The series includes San Marco 1, the first satellite launched by Italy.
*   **Second Italian Satellite:** The series includes San Marco 2, the subsequent national milestone.
*   **Research Classification:** It is strictly defined as a subclass of research satellites intended for scientific study.
*   **Specific Scale:** The series is strictly composed of five distinct artificial satellites.
*   **National Identity:** It is explicitly identified as an Italian spacecraft family.

## Body

### Classification and Definition
The entity "San Marco" is structured as a **spacecraft family**. It is categorized as a **subclass of research satellite**, defined technically as an artificial satellite designed for scientific research. The system description provided by Wikidata explicitly labels it as a "series of five Italian artificial satellites."

### Key Components
The family includes specific satellites that marked Italy's early presence in space:
*   **San Marco 1:** Recognized as the first Italian satellite.
*   **San Marco 2:** Recognized as the second Italian satellite.

### Programme Affiliation
The series functions as a part of the **San Marco programme**. This affiliation connects the individual satellites under a unified scientific and engineering initiative.

### Metadata and Identifiers
*   **Wikidata Properties:** The entity has a sitelink count of 4 and is available in four Wikipedia languages (Catalan, Hungarian, Italian, and Portuguese).
*   **Google Knowledge Graph ID:** `/g/1213hrk4`