NSSDCA/COSPAR ID: 1990-032A
Foton 6 was launched from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome via a Soyuz booster. It was a dedicated materials processing satellite that carried a French microgravity research payload. The Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) experiment, called Crocodile, contained materials to produce high-quality organic crystals for new generation electronics. It was the second French payload to fly on a Soviet Foton. The Foton housed a 2.3-m spherical descent module for return to earth. A double-cone retrorocket extended from the base of the sphere, a small cylindrical unit atop the module housed chemical batteries to power the experiments. Overall satellite length was 5 m; mass was 6,200 kg. Foton, with Crocodile aboard, returned to earth April 27, 1990 at 6:15.
Launch Date: 1990-04-11
Launch Vehicle: Soyuz
Launch Site: Plesetsk, U.S.S.R
Mass: 6200 kg
Questions and comments about this spacecraft can be directed to: Coordinated Request and User Support Office