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Foton Capsule, Spacecraft

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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

Foton is an unmanned recoverable spacecraft, designed and manufactured by TsSKB-Progress in Samara (Russia). Fifteen Fotons were launched between 1985 and 2007, initially from Plesetsk, later from Baikonur. The launch vehicle is a Soyuz-U. The reentry capsule is spherically shaped with a diameter of 2.3 m. Touchdown in the border zone of Russia and Kazakhstan. Payload consisting of scientific and technological experiments with often significant contributions from Western Europe. Power provided by batteries, flight duration therefore limited to 10–16 days. Orbital parameters: inclination 63°, period 90 min, orbital shape: near-circular, cruising altitude around 300 km. Foton has frequently been used for space exposure studies in astrobiology and astrochemistry (Biopan) as well as reentry experiments (Stone).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ESTEC (HSF-USL), Keplerlaan 1, 299, 2200 AG, Noordwijk, The Netherlands

    René Demets

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  1. René Demets
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Correspondence to René Demets .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Demets, R. (2014). Foton Capsule, Spacecraft. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1202-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1202-3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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