Today, 25 years from day of stratum of ship “Union TM-24”

August 17, 1996 at 17 o’clock 17 minutes Moscow time from the Baikonur cosmodrome, the Soyuz TM-24 Spacecraft with a Russian-French crew on board was launched. The expedition to the station “Peace” was headed by Valery Korzun. As a berthorer, together with him, the astronaut Alexander Calery and Astronaut Claud Andre-Dee were departed in orbit.

Preparations for this flight took place under the program of the 22nd Main Expedition, the Russian-American program “World 22 / NABA-3” and the Russian-French program “Cassiopeia”. Gennady Manakov was appointed commander of the crew, together with him the flight was preparing a flight manager Pavel Vinogradov. But about a week before the start of Manakova, health problems arose, and a replacement occurred in the Russian part of the crew.

“Doublers are preparing for the expedition also carefully as the main crew, but the feeling of not your flight is still present. We did not think that I would have to replace colleagues,” recalls the hero of the Russian Federation, the cosmonaut Valery Korzun.

Alexander Kalery went to the second half of the flight, he was already an experienced flight engineer. For the commander of the crew, Valery Korzuna, the expedition became the first, but he was preparing for the work in orbit for nine years, so successfully coped with the tasks set. Russian astronauts made two exits in open space with a total duration of more than 12 hours, conducted significant scientific experiments and research, carried out repair system of thermostat.

February 23, 1997 at the Mir station there was a fire caused by the ignition of oxygen checkers. At that time, Valery Korzun and Alexander Kalery were preparing for returning to Earth, until the completion of their expedition was about a week. Cosmonauts Vasily Zibilyov and Alexander Lazutkin have already arrived at the station to change the swirl colleagues. In addition, the Astronauts Rainhald Evald and Jerry Linenger and Jerry Linenger are witnesses.

“The first reaction was to block the access of oxygen to the fire. Grabbed his suit, covered them the generator and felt that the fabric literally mowers in my hands, because oxygen was inside. Dropped off the coming fabric and rushed to the fire extinguisher, – said Valery Korzun . – In parallel, began to prepare ships to leaving the station, but it was not needed. The fire was eliminated by fire extinguishers. “

The 22nd expedition lasted until March 2, 1997. Valery Korzun and Alexander Kalery spent in orbit 197 days.

/Media reports.