![]() ![]() His father, Bruce McCandless, was a communications officer aboard the USS San Francisco who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism in the battle of Guadalcanal. Cindy and I send our deepest condolences to Bruce’s wife, Ellen, their beloved children, and the entire McCandless family as they mourn the loss of an extraordinary man.”īorn in Boston on June 8, 1937, McCandless graduated second in his class at the Naval Academy and was designated a naval aviator in 1960. “Bruce served his country with humility and dignity, and encouraged all of us to reach new heights. “I always looked up to Bruce, not only for his incredible intellect, but also for his character and integrity, which embodied the highest values of the United States Navy. ![]() Naval Academy with McCandless, said in a statement. “I’m deeply saddened by the passing of Bruce McCandless, a brilliant aviator and astronaut who dedicated his life to serving the country he loved,” Sen. Fellow crewmembers aboard the Challenger used a 70mm camera to expose this frame through windows on the flight deck. The flight boosted McCandless’ total time in space to 13 days and 31 minutes Astronaut Bruce McCandless II, STS-41B mission specialist, uses his hands to control his movement above the Earth – and just few meters away from the space shuttle Challenger – during the first-ever spacewalk which didn’t use restrictive tethers and umbilicals. He and astronaut Kathryn Sullivan donned spacesuits and were standing by in the shuttle Discovery’s airlock for an emergency spacewalk if needed.Īs it turned out, a spacewalk was not needed - problems with the telescope’s mirror were discovered later - and Discovery’s crew returned to Earth after a five-day mission. McCandless flew a second time in April 1990 to help launch the Hubble Space Telescope. The satellites were returned to Earth, repaired and eventually relaunched. Ironically, MMUs would be used by two astronauts later in 1984 to retrieve the satellites McCandless’ crew deployed after they were stranded in useless orbits due to problems with their booster rockets. “He will be always be known for his iconic photo flying the MMU.” “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bruce’s family,” Robert Lightfoot, NASA’s acting administrator, said in a statement. The Challenger crew also launched two communications satellites before returning to Earth, making the program’s first shuttle landing at the Kennedy Space Center. Photos of McCandless, floating alone in the deep black of space above the brilliant limb of Earth became iconic emblems of the space shuttle program and among the most widely reproduced. He was 80.ĭuring his first space flight aboard the shuttle Challenger in February 1984, McCandless carried out the first untethered spacewalk, using a nitrogen gas-powered Manned Maneuvering Unit he helped design to fly well away from the orbiter for a series of tests. ![]() Credit: NASAįormer astronaut Bruce McCandless II, a retired Navy captain and son of a Medal of Honor winner who joined NASA during the buildup to the Apollo program, served as capsule communicator when Neil Armstrong took his historic first step on the moon and later flew in space twice during the shuttle program, died Thursday. STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION Official portrait showing astronaut Bruce McCandless II, attired in the shuttle Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suit with Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) attached and American flag in background. ![]()
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