NASA astronaut, 1st to fly untethered in space, dies at 80 | KIMA

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Astronaut Bruce McCandless II, STS-41-B mission specialist, uses his hands to control his movement above the Earth -- just a few meters away from the space shuttle Challenger -- during the first-ever spacewalk which didn't use restrictive tethers and umbilicals. Fellow crewmembers aboard the Challenger used a 70mm camera to expose this frame on Feb. 7, 1984, through windows on the flight deck. McCandless was joined by Robert L. Stewart, one of two other mission specialists for this flight, on two sessions of EVA. (Image Credit: NASA)

STS-31 Mission Specialist Bruce McCandless II, wearing liquid cooling and ventilation garment (LCVG), works his way out of the extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) lower torso on the mid deck of Discovery. McCandless was in a standby mode to perform a spacewalk if needed to support Hubble Space Telescope (HST) deployment and post-deployment tasks on April 25, 1990. The deployment of the telescope was executed flawlessly, andMcCandless' assistance was not needed. (Photo credit: NASA)

<p>On Feb. 12, 1984, astronaut Bruce McCandless, ventured further away from the confines and safety of his ship than any previous astronaut had ever been. This space first was made possible by a nitrogen jet propelled backpack, previously known at NASA as the Manned Maneuvering Unit or MMU.After a series of test maneuvers inside and above Challenger's payload bay, McCandless went "free-flying" to a distance of 320 feet away from the Orbiter. This stunning orbital panorama view shows McCandless out there amongst the black and blue of Earth and space. (Image Credit: NASA)</p>

<p>Astronaut Bruce McCandless II, pictured leaning out into space as his feet are anchored in the mobile foot restraint (MFR), and moved around by the remote manipulator system (RMS). The aft portion of the space shuttle Challenger, to which the RMS is connected, is seen in lower left corner. This Feb. 7, 1984, photograph is one of a sequence showing McCandless in the device. On this same EVA, McCandless also initiated use of the manned maneuvering unit (MMU), not pictured here, a nitrogen-propelled back pack apparatus allowing for free movement in space. (Image Credit: NASA)</p>

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