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Atlantis finally docked to Mir's Kristall module using the docking module's top androgynous unit on flight day 4.

The tension was high aboard Atlantis as Cameron maneuvered the shuttle towards Mir using the orbiter's thrusters.

Atlantis docked with Mir at 06: 27: 38 UTC following a faultless set of orbital maneuvers.

After all the required checks had been completed and the hatches had been opened, the five shuttle astronauts moved into Mir, ready to carry out three days of combined operations with Mirs resident crew, Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei Avdeyev ( carrying out the Mir EO-20 expedition ) and ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter ( flying on the Euromir 95 expedition ).

The two crews greeted each other with handshakes and hugs before carrying out a traditional gift exchange, with flowers and chocolates being swapped between the crews.