Soyuz-U launcher

A Soyuz-U launcher on the pad at Plesetsk. The stalwart vehicle is qualified for manned as well as unmanned missions. The unmanned variant, shown here, is the launch vehicle for the Bion and Foton recoverable satellites which, since 1987, have regularly carried ESA payloads into orbit. ESA's Biobox, Biopan and FluidPac flight facilities were specifically designed for Bion/Foton missions. [Image Date: 1990] [98.08.002-006]