Foton-M No.2 was an unmanned Foton-M spacecraft which carried a European payload for the European Space Agency (ESA). The spacecraft carried a 600-kilogram (1,300 lb) payload, including 385 kilograms (849 lb) of experiments; consisting of 39 experiments in fluid physics, biology, material science, meteoritics, radiation dosimetry and exobiology (BIOPAN-5). Some of the experiments were designed by the ESA’s student programme. One notable experiment tested the ability of lichen to survive in space. It was successful, as the lichen survived over 14 days of exposure to space.
A Russian orbital launch vehicle. A version of the Soyuz-U with safety modifications to prevent and resist fires in all stages and the upper stage avionics compartment.
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Mission Profile
Foton-M No. 2 was a Soyuz-U-PVB mission operated by Russian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) that lifted off from 1/5, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan on May 31, 2005. The flight carried its payload on a earth science mission to Low Earth Orbit. The launch was a success.