ESA Payloads and Experiments on the Foton-12 Mission

P. Baglioni, R. Demets & A. Verga

The international Foton-12 mission in September 1999 was a milestone in terms of payload mass, complexity and scientific diversity. ESA’s contribution amounted to an unprecedented 240 kg - almost half of Foton’s total payload. The Agency’s 11 experiments covered fluid physics, biology, radiation dosimetry, materials science and meteoritics. This article describes the mission from an ESA perspective and highlights the initial results.