On Sept. 19, 1996, the space shuttle Atlantis rendezvoused with Russia's Mir space station to deliver supplies and equipment.

The mission also picked up NASA astronaut Shannon Lucid, who had spent a record-breaking 188 days aboard the orbiting laboratory. In exchange, they dropped off another NASA astronaut, John Blaha, who would spend the next four months aboard the space station. STS-79 was the first shuttle mission to visit the Mir space station since its construction was completed, and it was the fourth shuttle mission to dock to the Mir space station.

Using lasers and video cameras as guidance, Atlantis seamlessly docked with Mir, and the astronauts delivered necessary food, water, clothes and science experiments to the crew on board.

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Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.