Blaha studied Russian during 1994 at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California, and continued to an intensive training program at the Cosmonaut Training Center, Star City, Russia in 1995. During the launch STS-79 (September 16, 1996), he transferred to the Mir Space Station, where he spent 4 months with the Mir 22 Cosmonaut crew conducting material science, fluid science, and life science research. Blaha returned to Earth aboard STS-81 on January 22, 1997.
