Editing Shuttle–Mir program (section)

==Timeline==
[[Image:STS-60 Launch.jpg|thumb|left|The Shuttle–''Mir'' program begins—''Discovery'' launches on [[STS-60]], the first flight of the program.|alt=A space shuttle launches into a dawn sky. Clouds in the sky, in the launch plume and from the flame trench, are visible, as is the scaffolding-like launchpad and some vegetation silhouetted in the foreground.]]

===New cooperation begins (1994)===
Phase One of the Shuttle–''Mir'' program began on February 3, 1994, with the launch of [[Space Shuttle Discovery|Space Shuttle ''Discovery'']] on its 18th mission, [[STS-60]]. The eight-day mission was the first shuttle flight of that year, the first flight of a Russian [[cosmonaut]], [[Sergei Krikalev]], aboard the American shuttle, and marked the start of increased cooperation in space for the two nations, 37 years after the [[Space Race]] began.<ref>{{cite news|author=William Harwood|title=Space Shuttle Launch Begins Era of US-Russian Cooperation|newspaper=Washington Post|page=a3|date=February 4, 1994|publisher=Retrieved March 9, 2007 from NewsBank}}</ref> Part of an [[Treaty|international agreement]] on human space flight, the mission was the second flight of the [[Spacehab]] pressurized module and marked the hundredth "[[Getaway Special]]" payload to fly in space. The primary payload for the mission was the [[Wake Shield Facility]] (or WSF), a device designed to generate new semiconductor films for advanced electronics. The WSF was flown at the end of ''Discovery''{{'s}} robotic arm over the course of the flight. During the mission, the astronauts aboard ''Discovery'' also carried out various experiments aboard the [[Spacehab]] module in the Orbiter's payload bay, and took part in a live bi-directional audio and downlink video hookup between themselves and the three cosmonauts on board ''Mir'', [[Valeri Polyakov]], [[Viktor M. Afanasyev|Viktor Afanasyev]] and [[Yury Usachev]] (flying ''Mir'' expeditions LD-4 and EO-15).<ref name="MissionChronicle"/><ref name="SMH Flights">
{{cite web|title=Shuttle–Mir History/Shuttle Flights and Mir Increments|publisher=NASA|url=http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/history/h-flights.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011111081412/http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/history/h-flights.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 11, 2001|access-date=March 30, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=STS-60 Mission Summary|publisher=NASA|author=Jim Dumoulin|date=June 29, 2001|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-60/mission-sts-60.html|access-date=March 30, 2007|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303213447/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-60/mission-sts-60.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Image:Earth & Mir (STS-71).jpg|thumb|A view of ''Mir'' following ''Atlantis''{{'s}} undocking at the end of [[STS-71]]|alt=A cluster of modules and feathery solar arrays floats in the middle distance before an image of the Earth and the blackness of space above its horizon. Sunrays project from the top centre of the image.]]

===America arrives at ''Mir'' (1995)===
1995 began with the launch of the Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' on February 3. Discovery's mission, [[STS-63]], was the second Space Shuttle flight in the program and the first flight of the shuttle with a female pilot, [[Eileen Collins]]. Referred to as the "near-''Mir''" mission, the eight-day flight saw the first rendezvous of a Space Shuttle with ''Mir'', as Russian cosmonaut [[Vladimir Titov (cosmonaut)|Vladimir Titov]] and the rest of ''Discovery''{{'s}} crew approached within {{convert|37|ft|m}} of ''Mir''. Following the rendezvous, Collins performed a flyaround of the station. The mission, a dress rehearsal for the first docked mission in the program, [[STS-71]], also carried out testing of various techniques and pieces of equipment that would be used during the docking missions that followed.<ref name="SMH Flights"/><ref>{{cite web|title=STS-63 Mission Summary|author=Jim Dumoulin|publisher=NASA|date=June 29, 2001|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-63/mission-sts-63.html|access-date=March 30, 2007|archive-date=March 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090320085830/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-63/mission-sts-63.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author= Kathy Sawyer|title=US & Russia Find Common Ground in Space – Nations Overcome Hurdles in Ambitious Partnership|newspaper=Washington Post|page=a1|date=January 29, 1995|publisher=Retrieved March 9, 2007 from NewsBank}}</ref>

{{anchor|Thagard increment}}
Five weeks after ''Discovery''{{'s}} flight, the March 14 launch of [[Soyuz TM-21]] carried expedition EO-18 to ''Mir''. The crew consisted of cosmonauts [[Vladimir Dezhurov]] and [[Gennady Strekalov]] and NASA astronaut [[Norman Thagard]], who became the first American to fly into space aboard the [[Soyuz spacecraft]]. During the course of their 115-day expedition, the ''[[Spektr]]'' science module (which served as living and working space for American astronauts) was launched aboard a [[Proton rocket]] and docked to ''Mir''. Spektr carried more than {{convert|1500|lb|kg}} of research equipment from America and other nations. The expedition's crew returned to Earth aboard [[Space Shuttle Atlantis|Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'']] following the first Shuttle–''Mir'' docking during mission [[STS-71]].<ref name="SSSM"/><ref name="Dragonfly"/><ref name ="LoME">[[List of Mir expeditions]]</ref>

[[Image:Docking Module (STS-74).jpg|thumb|left|The [[Mir Docking Module|''Mir'' Docking Module]], positioned in ''Atlantis''{{'s}} payload bay on [[STS-74]], ready to be docked to ''[[Kristall]]''|alt=A space shuttle payload bay, covered in white insulation, with a small, cylindrical orange module at one end, supported by the shuttle's robotic arm. The blackness of space and the Earth serve as the backdrop.]]

The primary objectives of STS-71, launched on June 27, called for the Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' to rendezvous and perform the first docking between an American Space Shuttle and the station. On June 29, ''Atlantis'' successfully docked with ''Mir'', becoming the first US spacecraft to dock with a Russian spacecraft since the [[Apollo-Soyuz Test Project]] in 1975.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Scott|first1=David|author-link=David Scott|last2=Leonov|first2=Alexei|author2-link=Alexei Leonov|title=Two Sides of the Moon|publisher=Pocket Books|date = April 30, 2005|isbn=978-0-7434-5067-6|id= {{ASIN|0743450671|country=uk}}}}</ref> ''Atlantis'' delivered cosmonauts [[Anatoly Solovyev]] and [[Nikolai Budarin]], who would form the expedition EO-19 crew, and retrieved astronaut Norman Thagard and cosmonauts Vladimir Dezhurov and Gennady Strekalov of the expedition EO-18 crew. ''Atlantis'' also carried out on-orbit joint US-Russian life sciences investigations aboard a [[Spacelab]] module and performed a logistical resupply of the station.<ref name="SMH Flights"/><ref>{{cite web|title=STS-71 Mission Summary|author=Jim Dumoulin|publisher=NASA|date=June 29, 2001|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-71/mission-sts-71.html|access-date=March 30, 2007|archive-date=March 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329042625/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-71/mission-sts-71.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Nick Nuttall| title = Shuttle homes in for Mir docking|newspaper=The Times|date=June 29, 1995|publisher =Retrieved March 9, 2007 from NewsBank}}</ref>

The final Shuttle flight of 1995, [[STS-74]], began with the November 12 launch of Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'', and delivered the Russian-built [[Mir Docking Module|Docking Module]] to ''Mir'', along with a new pair of solar arrays and other hardware upgrades for the station. The Docking Module was designed to provide more clearance for Shuttles in order to prevent any collisions with ''Mir''{{'s}} solar arrays during docking, a problem which had been overcome during [[STS-71]] by relocating the station's ''[[Kristall]]'' module to a different location on the station. The module, attached to ''Kristall''{{'s}} docking port, prevented the need for this procedure on further missions. During the course of the flight, nearly {{convert|1000|lb|kg}} of water were transferred to ''Mir'' and experiment samples including blood, urine and saliva were moved to ''Atlantis'' for return to Earth.<ref name="SMH Flights"/><ref>
{{cite web|title=CSA – STS-74 – Daily Reports|publisher=Canadian Space Agency|date=October 30, 1999|url=http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/missions/sts-074/reports.asp|access-date=September 17, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716061546/http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/missions/sts-074/reports.asp|archive-date=July 16, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=STS-74 Mission Summary|author=Jim Dumoulin|publisher=NASA|date=June 29, 2001|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-74/mission-sts-74.html|access-date=March 30, 2007|archive-date=December 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220034436/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-74/mission-sts-74.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=William Harwood|title=Space Shuttle docks with Mir – Atlantis uses manoeuvres similar to those needed for construction|newspaper=Washington Post|page=a3|date=November 15, 1995|publisher=Retrieved March 9, 2007 from NewsBank}}</ref>

[[Image:S79e5219.jpg|thumb|A view of the Travers RADAR antenna on the newly launched ''[[Priroda]]'' module during [[STS-79]]|alt=A rectangular dish shape of scaffolding covered in transparent sheeting, with a white insulation-covered radio receiver and support projecting from the centre. The blackness of space serves as the backdrop.]]

===''Priroda'' (1996)===
Continuous US presence aboard ''Mir'' started in 1996 with the March 22 launch of ''Atlantis'' on mission [[STS-76]], when the Second Increment astronaut [[Shannon Lucid]] was transferred to the station. STS-76 was the third docking mission to ''Mir'', which also demonstrated logistics capabilities through deployment of a [[Spacehab]] module, and placed experiment packages aboard ''Mir''{{'s}} docking module, which marked the first [[spacewalk]] which occurred around docked vehicles. The spacewalks, carried out from ''Atlantis''{{'s}} crew cabin, provided valuable experience for astronauts in order to prepare for later assembly missions to the [[International Space Station]].<ref>{{cite news|author=William Harwood|title=Shuttle becomes hard-hat area; spacewalking astronauts practice tasks necessary to build station|newspaper=Washington Post|page=a3|date=March 28, 1996|publisher=Retrieved March 9, 2007 from NewsBank
}}</ref>

Lucid became the first American woman to live on station, and, following a six-week extension to her Increment due to issues with Shuttle [[Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster|Solid Rocket Boosters]], her 188-day mission set the US single spaceflight record. During Lucid's time aboard ''Mir'', the ''[[Priroda]]'' module, with about {{convert|2200|lb|kg}} of US science hardware, was docked to ''Mir''. Lucid made use of both ''Priroda'' and ''Spektr'' to carry out 28 different science experiments and as living quarters.<ref name="SMH Flights"/><ref>{{cite web|title=STS-76 Mission Summary|author=Jim Dumoulin|publisher=NASA|date=June 29, 2001|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-76/mission-sts-76.html|access-date=March 30, 2007|archive-date=August 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130806102139/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-76/mission-sts-76.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Image:STS-81 Atlantis at Mir.jpg|thumb|left|Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' docked to ''Mir'' during [[STS-81]]. The crew compartment, nose and a portion of the payload bay of ''Atlantis'' are visible, behind ''Mir''{{'s}} ''Kristall'' and Docking Modules.|alt=A view showing a module covered in white insulation with a smaller module, covered in orange insulation, connected to the end of it. Part of a space shuttle can be seen attached to the orange module, and a number of folded and unfolded solar arrays are visible. The limb of the Earth forms the backdrop.]]
Her stay aboard ''Mir'' ended with the flight of ''Atlantis'' on [[STS-79]], which launched on September 16. STS-79 was the first Shuttle mission to carry a double Spacehab module. More than {{convert|4000|lb|kg}} of supplies were transferred to ''Mir'', including water generated by ''Atlantis''{{'s}} [[fuel cell]]s, and experiments that included investigations into [[Superconductivity|superconductors]], [[cartilage]] development, and other biology studies. About {{convert|2000|lb|kg}} of experiment samples and equipment were also transferred back from ''Mir'' to ''Atlantis'', making the total transfer the most extensive yet.<ref>{{cite news|author=William Harwood|title=Lucid transfers from Mir to Space Shuttle|newspaper=Washington Post|page=a3|date=September 20, 1996|publisher=Retrieved March 9, 2007 from NewsBank}}</ref>

This, the fourth docking, also saw [[John Blaha]] transferring onto ''Mir'' to take his place as resident Increment astronaut. His stay on the station improved operations in several areas, including transfer procedures for a docked space shuttle, "hand-over" procedures for long-duration American crew members and "Ham" [[amateur radio]] communications.

Two spacewalks were carried out during his time aboard. Their aim was to remove [[Electric power|electrical power]] connectors from a 12-year-old [[solar power]] array on the base block and reconnect the cables to the more efficient new solar power arrays. In all, Blaha spent four months with the Mir-22 cosmonaut crew conducting [[material science]], [[Fluid mechanics|fluid science]], and [[life science]] research, before returning to Earth the next year aboard ''Atlantis'' on [[STS-81]].<ref name="SMH Flights"/><ref>{{cite web|title=STS-79 Mission Summary|author=Jim Dumoulin|publisher=NASA|date=June 29, 2001|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-79/mission-sts-79.html|access-date=March 30, 2007|archive-date=May 18, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070518135705/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-79/mission-sts-79.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Fire and collision (1997)===
[[Image:Mir after Fire.jpg|thumb|A charred panel onboard ''Mir'' following the fire|alt=A white panel covered in buttons, which shows signs of fire damage on its bottom edge. Wiring and other pieces of hardware are arrayed beneath the panel.]]

In 1997 [[STS-81]] replaced Increment astronaut John Blaha with [[Jerry Linenger]], after Blaha's 118-day stay aboard ''Mir''. During this fifth shuttle docking, the crew of ''Atlantis'' moved supplies to the station and returned to Earth the first plants to complete a life cycle in space; a crop of wheat planted by Shannon Lucid. During five days of mated operations, the crews transferred nearly {{convert|6000|lb}} of logistics to ''Mir'', and transferred {{convert|2400|lb}} of materials back to ''Atlantis'' (the most materials transferred between the two spacecraft to that date).<ref name="STS-81"/>

The STS-81 crew also tested the Shuttle Treadmill [[Vibration isolation|Vibration Isolation]] and Stabilization System (TVIS), designed for use in the [[Zvezda (ISS module)|''Zvezda'' module]] of the International Space Station. The shuttle's small vernier jet thrusters were fired during the mated operations to gather engineering data for "reboosting" the ISS. After undocking, ''Atlantis'' performed a fly-around of ''Mir'', leaving Linenger aboard the station.<ref name="SMH Flights"/><ref name="STS-81">{{cite web|title=STS-81 Mission Summary|author=Jim Dumoulin|publisher=NASA|date=June 29, 2001|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-81/mission-sts-81.html|access-date=March 30, 2007|archive-date=May 20, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070520090649/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-81/mission-sts-81.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Mir collision damage STS086-720-091.JPG|thumb|Picture of the damage caused by the collision with Progress M-34, taken by ''Atlantis'' during [[STS-86]]]]

During his Increment, Linenger became the first American to conduct a spacewalk from a foreign space station and the first to test the Russian-built [[Orlan space suits|Orlan-M]] spacesuit alongside Russian cosmonaut [[Vasili Tsibliyev]]. All three crewmembers of expedition EO-23 performed a "fly-around" in the Soyuz spacecraft, first undocking from one docking port of the station, then manually flying to and redocking the capsule at a different location. This made Linenger the first American to undock from a space station aboard two different spacecraft (Space Shuttle and Soyuz).<ref name="LoME"/>

Linenger and his Russian crewmates Vasili Tsibliyev and [[Aleksandr Lazutkin]] faced several difficulties during the mission. These included the most severe fire aboard an orbiting spacecraft (caused by a backup oxygen-generating device), failures of various on board systems, a near collision with a [[Progress spacecraft|Progress]] resupply cargo ship during a long-distance manual docking system test and a total loss of station electrical power. The power failure also caused a loss of [[Spacecraft attitude control|attitude control]], which led to an uncontrolled "tumble" through space.<ref name="SSSM"/><ref name="Dragonfly"/><ref name="OffPlanet"/><ref name="SMH Flights"/>

The next NASA astronaut to stay on ''Mir'' was [[Michael Foale]]. Foale and Russian mission specialist [[Elena Kondakova]] boarded ''Mir'' from ''Atlantis'' on mission [[STS-84]]. The STS-84 crew transferred 249 items between the two spacecraft, along with water, experiment samples, supplies and hardware. One of the first items transferred to ''Mir'' was an Elektron oxygen-generating unit. ''Atlantis'' was stopped three times while backing away during the undocking sequence on May 21. The aim was to collect data from a European sensor device designed for future rendezvous of [[ESA]]'s [[Automated Transfer Vehicle]] (ATV) with the International Space Station.<ref name="SMH Flights"/><ref>{{cite web|title=STS-84 Mission Summary|author=Jim Dumoulin|publisher=NASA|date=June 29, 2001|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-84/mission-sts-84.html|access-date=March 30, 2007|archive-date=February 10, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210102245/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-84/mission-sts-84.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Image:Damaged Spektr solar array.jpg|thumb|left|Damaged solar arrays on ''Mir''{{'s}} ''Spektr'' module following a collision with an uncrewed [[Progress spacecraft]] in September 1997|alt=A gold-coloured solar array, bent and twisted out of shape and with several holes. The edge of a module can be seen to the right of the image, and Earth is visible in the background.]]

Foale's Increment proceeded fairly normally until June 25, when a resupply ship collided with solar arrays on the ''[[Spektr]]'' module during the second test of the Progress manual docking system, TORU. The module's outer shell was hit and holed, which caused the station to lose pressure. This was the first on-orbit depressurization in the history of spaceflight. The crew quickly cut cables leading to the module and closed ''Spektr''{{'s}} hatch in order to prevent the need to abandon the station in their Soyuz lifeboat. Their efforts stabilized the station's air pressure, whilst the pressure in ''Spektr'', containing many of Foale's experiments and personal effects, dropped to a vacuum. Fortunately, food, water and other vital supplies were stored in other modules, and salvage and replanning effort by Foale and the science community minimized the loss of research data and capability.<ref name ="Dragonfly"/><ref name="SMH Flights"/>

In an effort to restore some of the power and systems lost following the isolation of ''Spektr'' and to attempt to locate the leak, ''Mir''{{'s}} new commander [[Anatoly Solovyev]] and [[flight engineer]] [[Pavel Vinogradov]] carried out a salvage operation later in the mission. They entered the empty module during a so-called "IVA" spacewalk, inspecting the condition of hardware and running cables through a special hatch from ''Spektr''{{'s}} systems to the rest of the station. Following these first investigations, Foale and Solovyev conducted a 6-hour EVA on the surface of ''Spektr'' to inspect the damaged module.<ref name="SMH Flights"/><ref>
{{cite news|author=David Hoffman|title=Crucial Mir spacewalk carries high hopes – continued Western support could hinge on mission's success|newspaper=Washington Post|page=a1|date=August 22, 1997|publisher=Retrieved March 9, 2007 from NewsBank}}</ref>

[[Image:Mir (STS-86).jpg|thumb|A view of ''Mir'' from ''Atlantis''{{'s}} window, showing several of the station's modules and the docked Soyuz capsule|alt=A cluster of modules, covered in white insulation and projecting feathery solar arrays, with a small spacecraft covered in brown insulation docked at their centre. The image is seen through a window, with the blackness of space and the Earth forming the backdrop.]]

After these incidents, the US Congress and NASA considered whether to abandon the program out of concern for astronauts' safety but NASA administrator [[Daniel Goldin]] decided to continue the program.<ref name="OffPlanet"/> The next flight to ''Mir'', [[STS-86]], brought Increment astronaut [[David Wolf (astronaut)|David Wolf]] to the station.

STS-86 performed the seventh Shuttle–''Mir'' docking, the last of 1997. During ''Atlantis''{{'s}} stay crew members Titov and Parazynski conducted the first joint US–Russian extravehicular activity during a Shuttle mission, and the first in which a Russian wore a US spacesuit. During the five-hour spacewalk, the pair affixed a {{convert|121|lb|adj=on}} Solar Array Cap to the [[Mir Docking Module|Docking Module]], for a future attempt by crew members to seal off the leak in ''Spektr''{{'s}} hull. The mission returned Foale to Earth, along with samples, hardware, and an old Elektron oxygen generator, and dropped Wolf off on the Station ready for his 128-day Increment. Wolf had originally been scheduled to be the final ''Mir'' astronaut, but was chosen to go on the Increment instead of astronaut [[Wendy Lawrence]]. Lawrence was deemed ineligible for flight because of a change in Russian requirements after the Progress supply vehicle collision. The new rules required that all ''Mir'' crew members should be trained and ready for spacewalks, but a Russian spacesuit could not be prepared for Lawrence in time for launch.<ref name="SMH Flights"/><ref>{{cite web|title=STS-86 Mission Summary|author=Jim Dumoulin|publisher=NASA|date=June 29, 2001|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-86/mission-sts-86.html|access-date=March 30, 2007|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303230243/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-86/mission-sts-86.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Image:STS-91 Landing.jpg|thumb|left|Space Shuttle ''Discovery'' lands at the end of [[STS-91]] on 12 June 1998, bringing the Shuttle–''Mir'' program to a close.|alt=A spaceplane, coloured white on its topside and black on its underside, lands on a runway. A strip of turf is visible in the foreground, there are trees in the background and there is a cloud of smoke coming from the spaceplane's rear wheels.]]

===Phase One closes down (1998)===
The final year of Phase One began with the flight of [[Space Shuttle Endeavour|Space Shuttle ''Endeavour'']] on [[STS-89]]. The mission delivered cosmonaut [[Salizhan Sharipov]] to ''Mir'' and replaced David Wolf with [[Andy Thomas]], following Wolf's 119-day Increment.<ref name="SMH Flights"/><ref>{{cite web|title=STS-89 Mission Summary|author=Jim Dumoulin|publisher=NASA|date=June 29, 2001|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-89/mission-sts-89.html|access-date=March 30, 2007|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062707/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-89/mission-sts-89.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

During his Increment, the last of the program, Thomas worked on 27 science investigations into areas of advanced technology, [[Earth science]]s, human life sciences, microgravity research, and ISS risk mitigation. His stay on ''Mir'', considered the smoothest of the entire Phase One program, featured weekly "Letters from the Outpost" from Thomas and passed two milestones for length of spaceflight—815 consecutive days<!--start STS-76, March 22, 1996 to STS-91 landing, June 12, 1998--> in space by American astronauts since the launch of Shannon Lucid on the STS-76 mission in March 1996, and 907 days<!--Mir increments: Thagard, Mar 16. '95 to July 4 '95 and six others at a stretch Mar 24. '96 to June 8 '98--> of ''Mir'' occupancy by American astronauts dating back to Norman Thagard's trip to ''Mir'' in March 1995.<ref name="SMH Flights"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Letters from the Outpost|first=Andrew|last=Thomas|author-link=Andy Thomas|publisher=NASA|date=September 2001|url=https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4225/documentation/thomas-letters/letters.htm|access-date=April 15, 2007|archive-date=October 8, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061008060759/http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4225/documentation/thomas-letters/letters.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Thomas returned to Earth on the final Shuttle–''Mir'' mission, [[STS-91]]. The mission closed out Phase One, with the EO-25 and STS-91 crews transferring water to ''Mir'' and exchanging almost {{convert|4700|lb|kg}} of cargo experiments and supplies between the two spacecraft. Long-term American experiments that had been on board ''Mir'' were also moved into ''Discovery''. Hatches were closed for undocking at 9:07&nbsp;a.m. [[Eastern Daylight Time]] (EDT) on June 8 and the spacecraft separated at 12:01&nbsp;p.m. EDT that day.<ref name="SMH Flights"/><ref>{{cite web|title=STS-91 Mission Summary|author=Jim Dumoulin|publisher=NASA|date=June 29, 2001|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-91/mission-sts-91.html|access-date=March 30, 2007|archive-date=March 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304111001/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-91/mission-sts-91.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=William Harwood|title=Final American returns from Mir|newspaper=Washington Post|page=a12|date=June 13, 1998|publisher=Retrieved March 9, 2007 from NewsBank}}</ref>

[[Image:Unity-Zarya-Zvezda STS-106.jpg|thumb|The [[International Space Station]], Phase Two of the ISS program|alt=Three modules linked in a linear arrangement float in space with the Earth in the background. The top module is a metallic cylinder with a large white circle visible on it and a black cone at either end. The two lower modules are cylindrical and covered in white insulation, and have two blue solar arrays projecting from each. A smaller, brown spacecraft is docked to the lower module.]]

===Phases Two and Three: ISS (1998–present)===
{{main|International Space Station}}
With the landing of [[Space Shuttle Discovery|''Discovery'']] on June 12, 1998, the Phase One program concluded. Techniques and equipment developed during the program assisted the development of Phase Two: initial assembly of the International Space Station (ISS). The arrival of the [[Destiny (ISS module)|''Destiny'' Laboratory Module]] in 2001 marked the end of Phase Two and the start of Phase Three, the final outfitting of the station, completed in 2012.<ref name = "ISS Phases">{{cite web|last1=Esquivel|first1 =Gerald|title=ISS Phases I, II and III|date=23 March 2003|publisher=NASA|url=http://pdlprod3.hosc.msfc.nasa.gov/D-aboutiss/D1.html|access-date=2007-06-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214221840/http://pdlprod3.hosc.msfc.nasa.gov/D-aboutiss/D1.html|archive-date=2007-12-14|url-status=dead}}</ref> 

In 2015, a reconfiguration of the American segment was completed to allow its docking ports to accommodate NASA-sponsored commercial crew vehicles, that were expected to start visiting the ISS in 2018.<ref name="ISS Recongfig 2015">{{cite news|last1=Harding|first1=Pete|url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/05/iss-program-station-reconfiguration-future-crew-vehicles/|title=ISS relocates PMM in reconfiguration for future crew vehicles|work=NASA Spaceflight.com|date=26 May 2015|access-date=2015-06-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150601070251/http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/05/iss-program-station-reconfiguration-future-crew-vehicles/|archive-date=1 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{As of|June 2015}}, the ISS has a pressurized volume of {{convert|915|m3}}, and its pressurized modules total {{convert|51|m}} in length, plus a large truss structure that spans {{convert|109|m}}, making it the largest spacecraft ever assembled.<ref name="ISS facts & figures">{{cite web|last1=Garcia|first1=Mark|title=ISS Facts and Figures|publisher=NASA|work=International Space Station|date=30 April 2015|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/onthestation/facts_and_figures.html|access-date=2015-06-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603040411/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/onthestation/facts_and_figures.html|archive-date=3 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The completed station consists of five laboratories and is able to support six crew members. With over {{convert|332|m3}} of habitable volume and a mass of {{convert|400000|kg}} the completed station is almost twice the size of the combined Shuttle–''Mir'' spacecraft.<ref name="ISS facts & figures"/>

Phases Two and Three are intended to continue both international cooperation in space and zero-gravity scientific research, particularly regarding long-duration spaceflight. By spring 2015, [[Russian Federal Space Agency|Roscosmos]], NASA, and the [[Canadian Space Agency]] (CSA) have agreed to extend the ISS's mission from 2020 to 2024.<ref name="ISS mission extension">{{cite news|last1=Clark|first1=Stephen|url=http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/02/24/russian-space-agency-endorses-iss-until-2024/|title=Russian Space Agency Endorses ISS Until 2024|work=Spaceflight Now|date=24 February 2015|access-date=2015-06-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150614045957/http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/02/24/russian-space-agency-endorses-iss-until-2024/|archive-date=14 June 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> 

In 2018 that was then extended out to 2030.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spacenews.com/senate-passes-commercial-space-bill-2/|title=Senate passes commercial space bill|date=2018-12-21|website=SpaceNews.com|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-26|archive-date=2021-09-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927033414/https://spacenews.com/senate-passes-commercial-space-bill-2/|url-status=live}}</ref> The results of this research will provide considerable information for long-duration expeditions to the [[Moon]] and flights to [[Mars]].<ref name="ISS International Cooperation">{{cite web|last1=Garcia|first1=Mark|title=International Cooperation|work=International Space Station|publisher=NASA|date=30 April 2015|url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/cooperation/index.html|access-date=2015-06-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528114837/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/cooperation/index.html|archive-date=28 May 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following the intentional deorbiting of ''Mir'' on 23 March 2001, the ISS became the only space station in orbit around Earth.<ref name="Mir deorbited">{{cite news|last1=Boyle|first1=Alan|title=Russia bids farewell to Mir|work=NBC News|date=23 March 2001|url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3077781/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/russia-bids-farewell-mir/#.VXyY2BNVhHw|access-date=2015-06-13|location=New York|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150615065153/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3077781/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/russia-bids-farewell-mir/|archive-date=15 June 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> It retained that distinction until the launch of Chinese [[Tiangong-1]] space laboratory on 29 September 2011.<ref name="Tiangong-1">{{cite news|last1=Malik|first1=Tariq|url=http://www.space.com/13120-china-tiangong-1-space-laboratory-facts-figures.html|title=China's Tiangong 1 Space Lab: Questions & Answers|date=29 September 2011|work=Space.com|access-date=2015-06-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926072528/http://m.space.com/13120-china-tiangong-1-space-laboratory-facts-figures.html|archive-date=26 September 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> 

''Mir''{{'s}} legacy lives on in the station, bringing together five space agencies in the cause of exploration and allowing those space agencies to prepare for their next leap into space, to the Moon, Mars and beyond.<ref name="Mir's Legacy">{{cite news|last1=Cabbage|first1=Michael|title=NASA outlines plans for Moon and Mars|newspaper=Orlando Sentinel|date=31 July 2005|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/custom/space/orl-asec-moon073105,0,3136666.htmlstory?coll=orl-home-promo|access-date=2009-09-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070312170234/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/custom/space/orl-asec-moon073105%2C0%2C3136666.htmlstory?coll=orl-home-promo|archive-date=12 March 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Complete list of Shuttle–''Mir'' missions===
{{sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sticky-header"
|-
! Mission !! Launch Date !! Shuttle !! Patch !! Crew !! Notes
|-
| [[STS-60]] || 3 February 1994 || ''Discovery'' || [[File:Sts-60-patch.png|55px]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Charles Bolden]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Kenneth Reightler]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Nancy Jan Davis|N. Jan Davis]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Ronald Sega]] | {{flagicon|Costa Rica}}{{flagicon|USA}} [[Franklin Chang Díaz]] | {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Sergei Krikalev]]|| First Shuttle–''Mir'' mission | First Russian cosmonaut on US spacecraft | Deployed the [[Wake Shield Facility]] | Carried the [[SpaceHab]] single module
|-
| [[STS-63]] || 3 February 1995 || ''Discovery'' || [[File:Sts-63-patch.png|55px]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[James Wetherbee]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Eileen Collins]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bernard Harris]] | {{flagicon|GBR}} {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michael Foale|C. Michael Foale]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Janice E. Voss|Janice Voss]] | {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Vladimir Titov (cosmonaut)|Vladimir Titov]] || First Shuttle rendezvous with ''Mir''
|-
| [[Soyuz TM-21]] || 14 March 1995 || || [[File:Soyuz_TM-21_Patch.png|55px]] || {{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Vladimir Dezhurov]]''' | {{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Gennady Strekalov]]''' | {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Norman Thagard]]''' || | First American astronaut on Russian spacecraft | Delivered [[Mir-EO-18]] crew | Delivered Norman Thagard for long-duration stay
|-
| [[STS-71]] || 27 June 1995 || ''Atlantis'' || [[File:Sts-71-patch.png|55px]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Robert L. Gibson|Robert Gibson]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Charles Precourt]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Ellen S. Baker|Ellen Baker]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Gregory Harbaugh]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bonnie Dunbar]] | {{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Anatoly Solovyev]]''' | {{flagicon|RUS}} '''[[Nikolai Budarin]]''' || | First Shuttle–''Mir'' docking | Delivered [[Mir EO-19]] crew | Returned Mir EO-18 crew
|-
| [[STS-74]] || 12 November 1995 || ''Atlantis'' || [[File:Sts-74-patch.png|55px]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Kenneth D. Cameron|Kenneth Cameron]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[James Halsell]] | {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Chris Hadfield]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jerry L. Ross|Jerry Ross]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[William S. McArthur]]|| Delivered the [[Mir Docking Module|''Mir'' Docking Module]] | Hadfield became first and only Canadian to visit ''Mir''
|-
| [[STS-76]] || 22 March 1996 || ''Atlantis'' || [[File:Sts-76-patch.png|55px]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Kevin Chilton]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Richard Searfoss]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Ronald Sega]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michael R. Clifford|Michael Clifford]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Linda Godwin]] | {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Shannon Lucid]]''' || | Delivered Shannon Lucid for long-duration stay | Carried the SpaceHab single module
|-
| [[STS-79]] || 16 September 1996 || ''Atlantis'' || [[File:STS-79 patch.svg|55px]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[William Readdy]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Terrence Wilcutt]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jay Apt]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Thomas Akers]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Carl Walz]] | {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[John Blaha]]''' || | First flight of the SpaceHab double module | Delivered John Blaha for long-duration stay | Returned Shannon Lucid from long-duration stay
|-
| [[STS-81]] || 12 January 1997 || ''Atlantis'' || [[File:Sts-81-patch.png|55px]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michael A. Baker|Michael Baker]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Brent Jett]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Peter Wisoff]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[John Grunsfeld]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Marsha Ivins]] | {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Jerry Linenger]]''' || Carried the SpaceHab double module | Delivered Jerry Linenger for long-duration stay | Returned John Blaha from long-duration stay
|-
| [[STS-84]] || 15 May 1997 || ''Atlantis'' || [[File:STS-84 patch.svg|55px]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Charles Precourt]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Eileen Collins]] | {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Jean-François Clervoy]] | {{flagicon|PER}}{{flagicon|USA}} [[Carlos Noriega]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Edward Lu]] | {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Yelena Kondakova]] |{{flagicon|GBR}} {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Michael Foale|C. Michael Foale]]'''  || Carried the SpaceHab double module | Delivered Michael Foale for long-duration stay | Returned Jerry Linenger from long-duration stay
|-
| [[STS-86]] || 26 September 1997 || ''Atlantis'' || [[File:Sts-86-patch.svg|55px]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[James Wetherbee]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michael J. Bloomfield|Michael Bloomfield]] | {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Vladimir Titov (cosmonaut)|Vladimir Titov]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Scott Parazynski]] | {{flagicon|FRA}} [[Jean-Loup Chrétien]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Wendy Lawrence]] | {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[David Wolf (astronaut)|David Wolf]]'''|| Carried Spacehab double module | Vladimir Titov became first Russian cosmomaut to use an [[Extravehicular Mobility Unit|EMU]] | Delivered David Wolf for long-duration stay | Returned Michael Foale from long-duration stay
|-
| [[STS-89]] || 31 January 1998 || ''Endeavour'' || [[File:Sts-89-patch.svg|55px]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Terrence Wilcutt]] |  {{flagicon|USA}} [[Joe F. Edwards Jr.|Joe Edwards]] |  {{flagicon|USA}} [[James F. Reilly]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Michael P. Anderson|Michael Anderson]] |  {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bonnie Dunbar]] |  {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Salizhan Sharipov]] |  {{flagicon|AUS}} {{flagicon|USA}} '''[[Andy Thomas|Andrew Thomas]]''' || Carried SpaceHab double module | Delivered Andrew Thomas for long-duration stay | Returned David Wolf from long-duration stay
|-
| [[STS-91]] || 2 June 1998 || ''Discovery'' || [[File:Sts-91-patch.svg|55px]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Charles Precourt]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dominic Pudwill Gorie]] | {{flagicon|Costa Rica}}{{flagicon|USA}} [[Franklin Chang Díaz]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Wendy Lawrence]] | {{flagicon|USA}} [[Janet Kavandi]] | {{flagicon|RUS}} [[Valery Ryumin]] || Carried SpaceHab double module | Final Shuttle Mir mission | Returned Andrew Thomas from long-duration stay
|}