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Broken satellite salvage

American space shuttle Challenger crew retrieved two communication satellites from orbit and took them back to Earth for repairs. Both satellites, Indonesian Palapa B2 and Canadian Westar 6, were deployed earlier by another space shuttle mission. However, they ended on improper orbits because of their kick motors failure.

The first space selfie

The first known space selfie was taken by Buzz Aldrin during the Gemini 12 mission. The extra-vehicular activity equipment used by astronauts during spacewalks contains a specially designed camera for photography in outer space. The main purpose of the EVA camera is to take pictures of the subjects related to the missions.

Early anaesthetic

Scottish obstetrician James Y. Simpson used chloroform as an anesthetic in an operation. He was not first. Anaesthetic properties of the chemical were known for more than fifteen years. Simpson was, however, its great proponent. In his time there was a great discussion on whether women should use anesthetics during labor.

Anniversaries of the (in)famous