Soyuz TM-23 was a crewed spacecraft launched on March 22, 1996, 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 spaceflight during the 1990s. The mission lasted approximately 180 days, during which the crew conducted scientific experiments and maintenance tasks aboard the station. The spacecraft carried a three-member crew, including Yuri Malyshev, Talgat Musabayev, and William Shepherd. Soyuz TM-23 successfully returned to Earth on September 2, 1996, marking a significant achievement in international space collaboration and contributing to the ongoing research in microgravity environments.