France and Life Science
The majority of France's life science research has been conducted by French astronauts in four missions to the Soviet/Russian space stations and one flight on board the US Space Shuttle. (A second mission on STS by J.F. Clervoy in 1994 was under the auspices of ESA.) The 2-week flight by M. Tognini and the 3-week flight by J.P. Haignere to the Mir space station in 1992 and 1993, respectively, permitted detailed experiments spanning the preflight, on-orbit, and post-flight phases with emphases on the effects of space flight on the human cardio-vascular system, blood composttion changes, immunilogical responses to weightlessness, and the psychological and physiological condition of space travelers during adaptation to weightlessness. French astronauts are scheduled for further stays on-board Mir: C. Andre-Deshays in 1996 and L. Eyharts 1 in 1997.
The French firm Matra Marconi employed a Chinese vehicle to carry a biological package in 1987. The payload was piggybacked on a Chinese FSW mapping satellite launched by a CZ2C booster on 5 August 1987 from Jiuquan. Orbital characteristics were an altitude range of 173-400 km at a 63.0 degree inclination. The payload, which included algae, cyanophyta, and protozoa, was recovered 10 August 1987 and the sealed capsule was handed over to Matra Marconi on 12 August (References 5-6).
France led the development of ESA's Biorack and Anthrorack facilities which have flown on the US Space Shuttle and has been a contributor to all Soviet/Russian Bion missions since 1975 (Bion 3). Future French life sciences experiments are likely to remain concentrated on manned rather than unmanned missions.
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