The past, present and future of Biopan Original Research Article

Biopan is an exposure facility for biological experiments in space. Between 1992 and 1999 Biopan completed four missions in low Earth orbit on Russian Foton satellites, whereby 16 experiments were conducted by Baglioni and Demets . A fifth attempt to put Biopan in orbit failed in 2002 when the launcher crashed. The Biopan programme will be resumed with two more flights in 2005 and 2006. Biopan is a pan-shaped container, fitted onto the outside of the Foton spacecraft, carrying experiments with a total mass of 3.5 kg. By opening a motor-driven lid, the experiments are exposed to solar light, cosmic rays, vacuum and wide temperature fluctuations. The space environment is monitored by solar sensors, thermometers and investigator-provided radiation detectors. During re-entry, the lid is closed to prevent overheating of the experiments. The orbital parameters selected for the Biopan missions are highly consistent. This facilitates a repetition of the experiments if necessary, and it helps to predict the experiment environment on future flights. Over the years the capabilities of Biopan have gradually been enhanced. More, heavier and more complex experiments can now be accommodated, the sensors have been upgraded, power can be provided to the experiments and experiment data can be recorded. Biopan is designed and manufactured under ESA contract by Kayser-Threde (Germany) with Kayser Italia (Italy) and TsSKB-Progress (Russia) as subcontractors. This article focuses on the characteristics of Biopan as a tool for investigators. Information about the experiments and the scientific results can be found elsewhere.