Bruce McCandless

Astronaut Bruce McCandless Performs the First Untethered Spacewalk – NASA

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Astronaut Bruce McCandless Performs the First Untethered Spacewalk – NASA

Astronaut Bruce McCandless II approaches his maximum distance from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger in this 70mm photo from Feb. 7, 1984. While testing out the nitrogen-propelled, hand-controlled back-pack device called the manned maneuvering unit (MMU) for the first time, McCandless’s fellow crewmembers aboard the reusable vehicle photographed him. The MMU allowed crews to move … Read more

The Iconic Photos from STS-41B: Documenting the First Untethered Spacewalk – NASA

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The Iconic Photos from STS-41B: Documenting the First Untethered Spacewalk – NASA

As astronaut Bruce McCandless II flew the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) out of the space shuttle Challenger’s payload bay for the first time on February 7, 1984, many in the agency were fearful about the use of a self-propelled and untethered backpack in space.  (Previous spacewalkers remained connected to the vehicle with tethers. This jet-pack … Read more