STS-41B

40 Years Ago: STS-41B, the First Flight of the Manned Maneuvering Unit – NASA

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40 Years Ago: STS-41B, the First Flight of the Manned Maneuvering Unit – NASA

On Feb. 3, 1984, space shuttle Challenger took off on its fourth flight, STS-41B. Its five-person crew of Commander Vance D. Brand, Pilot Robert L. “Hoot” Gibson, and Mission Specialists Ronald E. McNair, Robert L. Stewart, and Bruce McCandless flew an eight-day mission ending with the first return to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in … 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