Soyuz TM-25, launched February 10, 1997, was the 30th expedition to the space station Mir. Its crew consisted of Commander Vasili Tsibilyev, Aleksandr Lazutkin, and Reinhold Ewald (ESA).
Ewald stayed aboard about 19 days and returned to Earth aboard Soyuz TM-24. Tsibilyev and Lazutkin landed in August.
Aleksandr Lazutkin, born October 30, 1957 in Moscow, Russia, made one trip into space. His only mission was aboard Soyuz TM-25, which launched in February 1997. He served as flight engineer with Commander Vasily Tsibliyev and German astronaut Reinhold Ewald (ESA).
He was on board with Tsibliyev when an unmanned supply ship collided with Mir, one of the worst space disasters. It ripped off solar panels and took Mir out of alignment with the sun, causing it to lose power and decompress.
Lazutkin and Michael Foale sealed hatches, saving the rest of the station. Lazutkin sucessfully cut some of the wires connecting Mir and the Spektr module with a dinner knife.
Their quick actions helped save the space station.
Note the mild reaction of the Russians when the crew returned to Earth. The crowd goes mild.
