Soyuz TM-22 was the 23rd mission and the 20th long-duration expedition to Mir space station. It was also a part of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program. The mission began on September 3, 1995, 09:00:23 UTC, launching Commander Yuri Gidzenko, Flight Engineer Sergei Avdeyev and Research Cosmonaut Thomas Reiter into orbit. They docked with Mir two days later. During their stay there, cosmonauts performed several EVAs and various scientific experiments. Station crew was visited by several Progress resupply spacecrafts, STS-74, and welcomed aboard Soyuz TM-23 with the next expedition crew. The mission concluded with a safe landing back on Earth on February 29, 1996, 10:42:08 UTC.