In all, five American astronauts are to visit Mir for a cumulative time in space of about two years.

The Buran space shuttle was anticipated to visit Mir, but its program was canceled after its first unmanned spaceflight.

It was the first spacecraft to visit Mir following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

U.S. astronauts will visit Mir.

Discovery is the third of NASA's four shuttles to visit Mir.

The eighteenth of sixty four Progress spacecraft to visit Mir, it was the first Progress-M spacecraft to be launched, and had the serial number 201.

Former cosmonaut Vladimir Solovyov, who had been a member of the first crew to visit Mir, led the mission control team which was on station during the deorbit.