Foton-11 recovery with ESA experiments

After the experiments were removed, Foton-11's descent capsule was carried aboard the helicopter in the background across the border to an airfield at Orsk in Russia. From there, an An-12 aircraft transported it back to Samara. Russia's Foton-11 microgravity mission was launched from Plesetsk on 9 October 1997 carrying ESA's Biobox-3 and external Biopan-2 facilities, plus three autonomous experiments, totalling 12 biology experiments involving scientists from France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, The Netherlands and Russia. Foton also carried payloads from CNES and DARA. The descent capsule landed safely 200 km south-east of Kustenay in Kazakhstan on 23 October 1997. [Image Date: 23-10-97] [97.12.010-014]