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A small robot named SpaceMIRA performed its first simulated surgery on the International Space Station.
Doctors on Earth remotely controlled the robot from 250 miles away.
SpaceMIRA could be used for urgent medical emergencies in remote places like space, war zones, or rural areas.
It mimics a human surgeon with grasping, cutting, and insertion capabilities.
The robot weighs just 0.9kg and arrived on the ISS via SpaceX on February 1.
Six surgeons successfully completed tests on simulated tissue made of rubber bands.
There's a delay of 0.85 seconds due to remote control, but initial tests were successful.
While half-second delays were previously considered problematic, surgeons found the tasks manageable.
