Bruce McCandless II (1937–2017) was an American NASA astronaut and Navy officer who made history on February 7, 1984. During the STS-41-B mission (shuttle Challenger), he became the first person to perform an untethered spacewalk, using the MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit) to move 98 meters away from the shuttle.
Key facts from Bruce McCandless’s history:
NASA Career: He qualified for the fifth group of astronauts in 1966. He served as the communication operator (CapCom) during the historic Apollo 11 moon landing.
MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit): McCandless actively participated in the design of this maneuvering backpack, which allowed him to perform the independent spacewalk in 1984.
Space Missions: He participated in two flights: STS-41-B (1984) and STS-31 (1990), spending over 312 hours in space.
Historic Spacewalk: On February 7, 1984, during mission STS-41-B, he donned the MMU and became the „first human satellite,” floating in open space without any connection to the ship.
Later Life: He retired from NASA in 1990. He died on December 21, 2017.
