An unmanned Foton spacecraft, carrying a payload of more than 40 ESA experiments, has been successfully launched. The Soyuz-U launcher lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan.

Nearly 9 minutes later, the Russian Foton-M3 spacecraft separated from the rocket's upper stage and was inserted into a 300 km orbit that will carry it around the Earth once every 90 minutes. The Foton will spend 12 days in orbit, during which time the onboard experiments will be exposed to microgravity, and in some cases, to the harsh environment of open space, before re-entering the atmosphere and landing on the steppes near the Russian-Kazakh border.

The 400 kg European payload includes experiments that will contribute to advances in many areas of research. The scientific experiments come from a wide range of scientific disciplines, including fluid physics, biology, protein crystal growth, meteoritics, radiation dosimetry and exobiology (life beyond Earth). The technology-related experiments may lead to more efficient oil extraction processes, better semiconductor alloys and more efficient thermal control systems.

"The Foton mission is part of ESA's programme for Life and Physical Sciences in spaceexplained Josef Winter, Head of ESA's Payload and Microgravity…