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Doctor Who Television

Doctor Who: The Leisure Hive, Part 1

Doctor WhoThe 526th episode of Doctor Who airs on BBC1. This is the first story produced by John Nathan-Turner, who remains as showrunner through the series’ cancellation in 1989, and features a redesigned title sequence and – for the first time in the series’ history – a major revision to the theme tune. Adrienne Corri and Nigel Lambert guest star. Season 18 begins with this episode.

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Challenger Crewed Spaceflight Space Shuttle

STS-8: first African-American in space

ChallengerTaking off on a six-day satellite deployment mission, Space Shuttle Challenger also lifts the first African-American astronaut into orbit. A satellite deployment is carried out for India, along with continuing experiments to observe the performance of the shuttle in conditions of extreme cold with limited exposure to the sun. Aboard Challenger for this flight are Commander Richard Truly, Pilot Daniel Brandenstein, and mission specialists Dale Gardner, Guion Bluford, and William Thornton.

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Crewed Spaceflight Discovery Space Shuttle

STS-41D: Discovery’s debut

DiscoverySpace Shuttle Discovery makes its first flight into space on a mission to deploy three commercial communications satellites. Tested on this flight is a huge solar power panel which unfolds vertically from Discovery’s cargo bay, testing technology for space station designs still on the drawing board. Discovery’s crew for this flight consists of Commander Henry Hartsfield, Pilot Michael Coats, mission specialists Judy Resnick, Steven Hawley, Mike Mullane, and payload specialist Charles Walker.

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Apollo Crewed Spaceflight Deaths Matters of Life & Death Skylab Space Shuttle

Don Lind, astronaut, dies

Don LindDon Lind, a veteran of the Apollo, Skylab and space shuttle eras at NASA, dies at the age of 92. Born in Midvale, Utah, his service as a U.S. Navy pilot and a degree in nuclear physics brought him to the attention of NASA, and he was a member of the agency’s fifth astronaut class, many of whom went to the moon. Lind was considered for the crew of Apollo 20 until that mission’s cancellation. During the Skylab space station’s tenure, he was assigned to the crew of the Skylab Rescue contingency mission (which ultimately was deemed unnecessary) and then as a potential member of a fourth Skylab crew, whose mission was also cancelled. By the time Lind made his only spaceflight, aboard the shuttle Challenger in 1985, he had been waiting nearly two decades for a flight. He retired from NASA following his flight, and went on to teach at Utah State University.