this astronaut dared to do it in 1984

Astronaut Bruce McCandless broke a record on February 7, 1984. He flew 100 meters from the space shuttle Challenger. At the time, he was not connected to the shuttle. McCandless used the so-called manned maneuver unit: a jetpack with nitrogen.

The unique jetpack was designed and built by Lockheed Martin. The MMU has been used many times by astronauts to fly around the Space Shuttle. For example, using the jetpack, astronauts could take satellites and other objects onto the space shuttle for repair or transport to Earth. Bruce McCandless was the first astronaut to try out the MMU in 1984.

Of course, many beautiful photos were taken of astronauts with the MMU. Above you can see the space photo of the week. McCandless floats alone above the earth’s surface. The contrast with the jet black universe is great. The photo below is also fantastic. Astronaut Dale Gardner carries the Westar VI satellite to the shuttle’s payload bay.

Unfortunately, the MMU was not used very often. After the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, the US space agency deemed it too dangerous to continue using this jetpack. Today, astronauts are always connected to a safety line during a spacewalk. This way, an astronaut cannot wander away from a spacecraft or station. Astronauts often use other tools – such as a robotic arm – to complete tasks during a spacewalk.

Would you like to see the MMU in person? You must cross the Atlantic Ocean. Three copies have survived, two of which were actually used in space. We can see National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The other copies are hung at the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville (Alabama) and at the Johnson Space Center.