At 7:43:59 a.m., the Mission Control Center in Korolev (TsUP) ordered Tsibliyev to steer Soyuz-TM 17 to within 15 metres of the Kristall module to begin photography of the APAS-89 docking system.

Serebrov, standing by for photography in the orbital module, then asked Tsibliyev to move the spacecraft out of the station plane because it was coming close to one of the solar arrays.

In this connection, the Russians revealed that they had studied contingency reentries by depressurized spacecraft in the wake of the Soyuz 11 accident.

The Mir cosmonauts did not feel the impact, though the station's guidance system registered angular velocity and switched to free flying mode.

Tsibliyev was able to use the right lever to steer the Soyuz past Mir's solar arrays, antennas, and docking ports after it became clear impact was inevitable.