Bruce McCandless, First Astronaut To Fly Untethered In Space, Has Died

On Feb. 12, 1984, Bruce McCandless ventured away unrestrained from the safety of his spaceship, which no previous astronaut had done. He could do it because of a brand-new, jet-powered backpack.

He helped develop the jet-powered backpack that allowed him to float away from the shuttle and safely back again. He said he wanted to inspire people to say, “I can do better than that.”

(Image credit: NASA)