Going into space without being located into or at least tied to a spacecraft is indeed a very dangerous game to play. Where not even gravity or air exists, another factor might start to dominate and become your only companion: despair.
That seems to not be the case with Bruce McCandless II, an astronaut of NASA who was photographed in 1984 during a spacewalk. He was floating high above our beautiful blue planet. He even became the first astronaut to float untethered, and you can admire his courage below. It was only the Manned Maneuvering Unit that kept him alive.
The popular science page that goes by the name of ‘Curiosity’ on Twitter published the new image, writing:
Perhaps the most-terrifying space photograph to date. Astronaut Bruce McCandless II floats completely untethered, away from the safety of the space shuttle, with nothing but his Manned Maneuvering Unit keeping him alive. The first person in history to do so.
Make sure to click on the tweet to see the full image:
https://twitter.com/Sciencenature14/status/1538720322869936129?s=20&t=NMhXlaxq9c39W215NSdEgA
Besides being an astronaut working for NASA, Bruce McCandless II (born Byron Willis McCandless) has also been an electrical engineer, aviator, and a United States Navy officer.
McCandless II was born in 1937 in Boston. He was the son of Bruce McCandless and grandson of Willis W. Bradley, both of them being Medal of Honor recipients.
In 1966, McCandless was selected as the youngest NASA Astronaut Group 5 member when he was only 28 years old.
On December 21, 2017, Bruce McCandless II passed away in Los Angeles, California. He left this world, hopefully for a better one, at the age of 80 years old.
What do you think about the NASA astronaut’s courage to remain untethered in space back in 1984? Would you have such courage for yourself?
