Photo courtesy of
NASA.
(Click on the photo for a larger view)
Back in 1984 astronaut Bruce McCandless II took the concept of
"manned spaceflight" to an entirely new level when he ventured over
100 yards from the Space Shuttle Challenger during an untethered
space walk. Powered by a contraption called a "Manned Maneuvering
Unit" (and nerves of steel), Mr. McCandless literally flew through
space without the aid of a spaceship.Although the length of a
football field doesn't sound like a very long distance, it no doubt
seemed like 1,000 miles to Mr. McCandless. After all, once an
astronaut ventures outside the safety of his spacecraft without a
"lifeline" attached, he would be on his own if something were to go
terribly wrong.
I believe that astronauts of future generations will be flying
through space like this on a daily basis, and at much greater
distances than the short flight taken by Astronaut McCandless. But
on that beautiful day back in 1984, this man got the ball rolling by
venturing farther out into space than anyone else in human history.
Visitor Comments...
Name: Randy Patrick
Town: Orinda, CA
What a breathtaking view the astronaut must have enjoyed on this
spacewalk. Awesome picture!!!!!!!
Name: Cecil Ott
Town: Shreveport, LA
Yeah, I'd say this took nerves of steel. If the MMU had
malfunctioned Mr. McCandless would most likely have died. Awesome
picture indeed!
Name: Ed Morrison
Town: Dunwoody, GA
Mr. Rouse, the photos you publish on this site are always "out of
this world", but this one is simply fantastic.
Name: Kathy Beach
Town: Maryville, TN
Rick, I agree with all the comments of this awe inspiring picture
that you have posted today. Gordon Brugman introduced me to
"TodaysPhoto" and I am so happy that he did. I love the site and
what it is about. Thank you for "TodaysPhoto" and all that you
publish on it.
Name: Phyllis Helton
Town: Bristol, VA
Beautiful!!!
Name: Humberto Peña
Town: Edgewood, FL
Today's picture is a breathtaking reminder of the greatness of our
American Space program. I hope we never lose our collective
fascination with the universe or our ambition to explore it.
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