While supporting other missions and waiting his turn, he helped design what became known as the MMU — the manned maneuvering unit.
Mccandless, mission specialist aboard the shuttle Challenger in February 1984, looks at a map showing the path of the spaceship.
McCandless, mission specialist aboard the shuttle Challenger in February 1984, looks at a map showing the path of the spaceship.
He had trained for that moment for years, ready for anything — the suit's nitrogen propulsion system failing or problems communicating with the shuttle.
The suit was designed so astronauts could work strenuously, but for that first six-hour test, he had moved little more than 300 feet away from the shuttle when the famous picture was taken, with Earth and space in the background.
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