Foton-11 and its Soyuz rocket a few hours before launch. ESA's payloads were integrated into Foton 54 h before launch in the processing building a few km from the pad. 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: 09-10-97] [97.12.010-017]