Soyuz TM-24 was the 27th mission and the 22nd long-duration expedition to Mir space station. It was also a part of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program. The mission began on 17 August 1996, 13:18:03 UTC, launching Commander Valery Korzun, Flight Engineer Aleksandr Kaleri and Research Cosmonaut Claudie André-Deshays 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-79 and STS-81, and welcomed aboard Soyuz TM-25 with the next expedition crew. The mission concluded with a safe landing back on Earth on March 2, 1997, 06:44:16 UTC.