Soyuz TM-22 was a crewed spacecraft launched on December 21, 1995, as part of the Soyuz program. It was designed to transport astronauts to and from the Mir space station, which was a key component of human space exploration during the 1990s. The mission lasted approximately 6 months, allowing the crew to conduct scientific experiments and perform maintenance on the station. The crew of Soyuz TM-22 included Russian cosmonauts Valery Polyakov and Alexander Balandin, along with French astronaut Jean-Pierre Haigneré. This mission was significant for international cooperation in space, as it marked the first time a French astronaut lived aboard the Mir space station.