Jerry Linenger began his stay on the orbiting Russian facility with the Mir-22 crew in mid-January with the docking of STS-81. He became a member of the Mir-23 crew and continued his science investigations when the Mir-22 crew and Reinhold Ewald returned to Earth on March 02, 1997 with Soyuz TM-24 spacecraft. After Jerry Linenger and Michael Foale completed their handover, Michael Foale worked with the Mir-23 crew until the arrival of Mir-24 cosmonauts Anatoli Soloviyov and Pavel Vinogradov with Soyuz TM-26 in August 1997. After the Mir-23 crew returned to Earth in Soyuz TM-25, Michael Foale completed his tour with the Mir-24 crew.
The return of Atlantis on STS 84 concluded some experiments, continued others and commenced still others. Data gained from the mission will supply insight for the planning and development of the International Space Station, Earth-based sciences of human and biological processes, and the advancement of commercial technology.

The research program conducted by Michael Foale featured 35 investigations total (33 on Mir, two on STS 84, and another preflight/postflight) in six disciplines: advanced technology, Earth observations and remote sensing, fundamental biology, human life sciences, space station risk mitigation, and microgravity sciences. Twenty-eight of these were conducted during previous missions and were to be continued, repeated or completed during Michael Foale's stay. Seven new experiments were planned in biological and crystal growth studies and materials processing.

Earth sciences research in ocean biochemistry, land surface hydrology, meteorology, and atmospheric physics and chemistry also were performed. Observation and documentation of transient natural and human-induced changes were accomplished with the use of passive microwave radiometers, a visible region spectrometer, a side-looking radar, and hand-held photography. Earth orbit allowed for documentation of atmospheric conditions, ecological and unpredictable events, and seasonal changes over long time periods.
Fundamental biology research continued developmental investigations that study the effects of the space environment on the biological systems of plants. Prolonged exposure to microgravity provides an ideal opportunity to determine the role gravity has on cell regulation and how this affects development and growth. Investigations under this discipline will also characterize the internal radiation environment of the Mir space station.

Human life sciences research consisted of investigations that focus on the crewmember's adaptation to weightlessness in terms of skeletal muscle and bone changes, psychological interactions, immune system function, and metabolism. In addition, environmental factors such as water quality, air quality, surface assessment for microbes, and crew microbiology were assessed. These ambitious investigations continued the characterization of the integrated human responses to a prolonged presence in space.

Space science research continued with the externally mounted Mir Sample Return Experiment (MSRE) and Particle Impact Experiment (PIE) payloads. These experiments continued to collect interstellar and interplanetary space particles to further our understanding of the origin and evolution of planetary systems and life on Earth.

The current Mir-23 mission began when cosmonauts Vasili Tsibliyev and Aleksandr Lazutkin and German Research Cosmonaut Reinhold Ewald of DARA (mission EuroMir 97) were launched on February 10, 1997, in Soyuz TM-25 and docked with the Mir two days later. Within meters of automatic approach to the station, a slight misalignment was noted, and the Commander of the module had to dock it by manual steering.

Reinhold Ewald amused himself well on-board of the Mir space station. He used as his private domain the module Kristall. His American colleague Jerry Linenger had his private quarter in the Module Spektr. He was sleeping there, had room for personal belongings and he found a free surface on the wall to fasten some photographs. Reinhold Ewald discussed the experiments which he had to execute during this mission with Sigmund Jähn (at TsUP) or with his backup Hans Schlegel (in GSOC). Reinhold Ewald was successfully executing the program although now and then something went wrong. In the framework of a medical experiment he had to drink 200 ml tomato-juice with salt, but bad quality of the juice made this impossible. The experiments with the Titus-oven, the French Alice-2 installation (studies of the characteristics of liquids) and MEDEX (medical experiments) were successfully executed.