1. 1985: U.S. Space Shuttle Atlantis docks up to the Russian Space Station
Photo: NASA
Just after 6:00 a.m. on this date in 1995, the Space Shuttle Atlantis docked up to the Russian space station Mir, a historical event considering the long time rivalry between the two programs. The mission was to build the largest man-made satellite to orbit the Earth. The docking took less than two hours which ended up being a mere two seconds off the target arrival time. Plus they were able to use 200 lbs. less fuel then expected. The crew would stay docked for about 5 days before heading back to Earth. The Atlantis was bringing two fresh cosmonauts to replace some that had been there for quite some time. This mission was actually the 100th human space mission in U.S. history.
