Foton microgravity mission launched
Posted: Sat, Sep 15, 2007, 10:22 AM ET (1422 GMT)
A Soyuz rocket placed a recoverable spacecraft carrying a suite of microgravity experiments into orbit on Friday. The Soyuz rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 7:00 am EDT (1100 GMT) and placed the Foton-M3 spacecraft into low Earth orbit. On board Foton-M3 are dozens of microgravity experiments, some of which feature living creatures such as newts, geckos, and snails. A number of the experiments were provided by ESA, and NASA scientists are serving as co-investigators on some of the payloads. Attached to the side of Foton-M3 is a secondary payload, ESA's second Young Engineers' Satellite (YES2); it will deploy from the main spacecraft via tether near the end of the mission. The spacecraft will return to Earth on September 26.
A Soyuz rocket placed a recoverable spacecraft carrying a suite of microgravity experiments into orbit on Friday. The Soyuz rocket lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 7:00 am EDT (1100 GMT) and placed the Foton-M3 spacecraft into low Earth orbit. On board Foton-M3 are dozens of microgravity experiments, some of which feature living creatures such as newts, geckos, and snails. A number of the experiments were provided by ESA, and NASA scientists are serving as co-investigators on some of the payloads. Attached to the side of Foton-M3 is a secondary payload, ESA's second Young Engineers' Satellite (YES2); it will deploy from the main spacecraft via tether near the end of the mission. The spacecraft will return to Earth on September 26.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Saturday, July 4
Coolest spacecraft ever in orbit around L2
ESA — 4:24 am ET (0824 GMT) Moonwalker Aldrin says we should colonise Mars
The Herald — 4:23 am ET (0823 GMT) Interest in space memorabilia takes a leap
Financial Times — 4:22 am ET (0822 GMT) Evidence mounts that Mars was once habitable
Arizona Republic — 4:17 am ET (0817 GMT) First Moon images sent back by Nasa orbiter show incredible details just 10ft across
The Daily Mail — 4:17 am ET (0817 GMT) |