A U.S. space shuttle docked with Mir, a Russian space station, forming the largest man-made satellite in history. The symbolism wasn't lost on Daniel Goldin, head of NASA at the time, who called it the start of a "new era of friendship and cooperation" between the two countries that had long fought for global dominance. Fittingly, the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard each vessel made sure the meeting was a warm one — and that it went off without a hitch.
As the shuttle approached Mir, the cosmonauts played Russian folk songs over the radio, while the shuttle commander cautiously steered within inches of the station to the docking area. The two structures connected at 8 a.m., within seconds of the expected docking time; it was a great technical success.
The commanders of the station and the shuttle clasped hands, and the two teams offered each other gifts. The astronauts had even brought two cosmonauts along to help refresh the crew on Mir; the three already on board the station (one of whom was American) returned to Earth with the U.S. crew. The docking would be the first of 11 shuttle-Mir link-ups.
