On September 19, 1996, NASA's space shuttle Atlantis docked with Russia's Mir space station as part of the STS-79 mission. This operation involved the delivery of supplies and the transfer of astronaut Shannon Lucid, who had spent a record 188 days aboard Mir, back to Earth. Lucid was replaced by fellow NASA astronaut John Blaha, who would remain on the station for the next four months.
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This mission marked the first crew exchange at the Mir space station by a U.S. astronaut, as well as the fourth shuttle mission to dock with Mir since its construction was completed. Atlantis successfully connected to Mir using lasers and video cameras for guidance, facilitating the transfer of essential cargo, including food, water, clothing, and scientific experiments.
Commanded by astronaut William Readdy and piloted by Terrence Wilcutt, the STS-79 crew included mission specialists Jerome Apt, Thomas Akers, Carl Walz, alongside Lucid and Blaha. The core Mir crew at that time consisted of Russian cosmonauts Valery Korzun and Alexander Kaleri.
During the five days Atlantis spent docked at Mir, the crew transferred approximately 4,000 pounds (1,814 kilograms) of supplies to the station. This cargo included three new experiments for the Mir crew, and about 2,000 pounds (907 kilograms) of experiment samples were brought back to Atlantis from Mir. This made the supply exchange the largest at that time between the shuttle and the Mir space station.
STS-79 was also notable for being only the second mission in which NASA's shuttle carried the SPACEHAB module, utilizing its "Double Module" configuration to accommodate additional supplies. The mission further tested an Active Rack Isolation System to protect experiments on board from vibrations.
Following STS-79, five more shuttle missions would dock at Mir, contributing to the foundation for the International Space Station, which has operated with international crews for nearly 27 years.