McCandless helped develop the MMU and was first to test it on STS-41-B in 1984

Captain Bruce McCandless II (born June 8, 1937 in Boston, Massachusetts) is a former naval aviator with the United States Navy and NASA astronaut. In the first of his two space shuttle missions he made the first untethered, free flight using the Manned Maneuvering Unit (pictured). Download high resolution version (3072x3072, 7575 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Download high resolution version (3072x3072, 7575 KB)This is a file from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of free content hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation. ... U.S. astronaut Bruce McCandless uses a manned maneuvering unit A Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) is a jetpack (propulsion backpack that snaps onto the back of the spacesuit) which has been used on spacewalks (EVAs) from NASAs space shuttle, allowing an astronaut to move independently from the shuttle. ... STS 41-B was the tenth flight of a Space Shuttle and the fourth for Challenger. ... June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... City nickname: Beantown, The Hub, The Athens of America Location in the state of Massachusetts Founded September 17, 1630 County Suffolk County Mayor Thomas Menino (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 232. ... An aircraft carrier is a warship whose main role is to deploy and recover aircraft. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (established 1958) is the government agency responsible for the United States of Americas space program and long-term general aerospace research. ... U.S. Space Shuttle astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia seconds after engine ignition, 1981 (NASA). ... U.S. astronaut Bruce McCandless uses a manned maneuvering unit A Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) is a jetpack (propulsion backpack that snaps onto the back of the spacesuit) which has been used on spacewalks (EVAs) from NASAs space shuttle, allowing an astronaut to move independently from the shuttle. ...

Education

McCandless graduated from Woodrow Wilson Senior High School, Long Beach, California. In 1958 he received a bachelor of science degree from the United States Naval Academy, followed by a master of science degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University in 1965. In 1987 he received a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. Woodrow Wilson High School is the name of numerous High Schools throughout the United States which are named after the 28th president of the united states, Woodrow Wilson. ... County Los Angeles County, California Area  - Total  - Water 170. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A Bachelor of Science (B.S., B.Sc. ... Teamwork: Fourth Class Midshipmen lock arms and use ropes made from uniform items as they brace themselves climbing the Herndon Monument The United States Naval Academy (USNA) is an institution for the undergraduate education of officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate course of one or two years in duration. ... Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the study and application of electricity and electromagnetism. ... For other meanings of Stanford, see Stanford (disambiguation). ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a tertiary degree in business management. ... The University of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL) is an upper level institution located in Clear Lake City, Texas. ...

U.S. Navy

McCandless graduated second in a class of 899 from Annapolis (Class of 1958), and subsequently received flight training from the Naval Aviation Training Command at bases in Pensacola, Florida, and Kingsville, Texas. City nickname: Americas Sailing Capital Location in the state of Maryland Founded 1649 Mayor Ellen O. Moyer (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 19. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is about the inland city of Pensacola, Florida. ... Kingsville is a city located in Kleberg County, Texas, United States. ...

In March 1960 he was designated a naval aviator and proceeded to Key West, Florida, for weapons system and carrier landing training in the F-6A Skyray. 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Map of Key West Key West is a city located in Monroe County, Florida. ... The Douglas F4D Skyray was a carrier-based fighter built by the Douglas Aircraft Company. ...

Between December 1960 and February 1964 he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 102 (VF-102), flying the Skyray and the F4-B Phantom II. He saw duty aboard the USS Forrestal (CVA-59) and the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), including the latter's participation in the Cuban Missile Crisis. 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... F-4 re-directs here, for alternate uses, see F4 The F-4 Phantom II (simply F-4 Phantom after 1990) is a two-place (tandem), supersonic, long-range, all-weather fighter-bomber built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation. ... USS Forrestal (CVA-59) (later CV-59 and AVT-9) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier, the lead ship of a new class of supercarriers, named after Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal. ... The eighth USS Enterprise (CVN-65) was the worlds first nuclear supercarrier, powered by eight A2W reactors. ... The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States over the Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba. ...

For three months in early 1964, he was an instrument flight instructor in Attack Squadron 43 (VA-43) at the Naval Air Station, Apollo Soucek Field, Virginia, and then reported to the Naval Reserve Officer's Training Corps Unit at Stanford University for graduate studies in electrical engineering. 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th)  - Land 102,642 km²  - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... For other meanings of Stanford, see Stanford (disambiguation). ...

During naval service he gained flying proficiency in the T-33B Shootingstar, T-38A Talon, F-4B Phantom II, F-6A Skyray, F-11 Tiger, TF-9J Cougar, T-1 Seastar, and T-34B Mentor airplane, and the Bell 47G helicopter. He logged more than 5,200 hours flying time -- 5,000 hours in jet aircraft. The Northrop T-38 Talon is a US-built supersonic jet trainer for military pilots. ... The F-11 Tiger was a United States Navy fighter aircraft of the late 1950s and early 1960s. ... An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ...

NASA

McCandless was one of the 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966. He was a member of the astronaut support crew for the Apollo 14 mission and was backup pilot for the first manned Skylab mission (SL-1/SL-2). He was a co-investigator on the M-509 astronaut maneuvering unit experiment which was flown in the Skylab Program, and collaborated on the development of the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) used during Shuttle EVAs. U.S. Space Shuttle astronaut Bruce McCandless II using a manned maneuvering unit. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (established 1958) is the government agency responsible for the United States of Americas space program and long-term general aerospace research. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the Apollo program and the third mission to land on the moon. ... Americas first space station, the 75 metric ton Skylab, was in Earth orbit from 1973-1979, and visited by crew three times in 1973 and 1974. ... U.S. astronaut Bruce McCandless uses a manned maneuvering unit A Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) is a jetpack (propulsion backpack that snaps onto the back of the spacesuit) which has been used on spacewalks (EVAs) from NASAs space shuttle, allowing an astronaut to move independently from the shuttle. ...

He was responsible for crew inputs to the development of hardware and procedures for the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), Space Telescope, the Solar Maximum Repair Mission, and the Space Station Program. A space observatory is any object in outer space which is used for observation of distant planets, galaxies, and other outer space objects. ... A space station is an artificial structure designed for humans to live on in outer space. ...

McCandless logged over 312 hours in space, including 4 hours of MMU flight time. He flew as a mission specialist on STS-41-B and STS-31. STS 41-B was the tenth flight of a Space Shuttle and the fourth for Challenger. ... The 35th Space Shuttle mission, STS-31 using Space Shuttle Discovery, launched April 24, 1990, and returned April 29. ...

STS-41-B

Space shuttle Challenger launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on February 3, 1984. The flight deployed two communications satellites, and flight-tested rendezvous sensors and computer programs for the first time. Challenger may mean: Space Shuttle Challenger, the American space shuttle which exploded shortly after takeoff in 1986 HMS Challenger, any of eight Royal Navy ships, most notably the one carrying the British oceanographic survey of 1872-1876 Challenger Deep, the deepest point in the worlds oceans Challenger tournament, a... Merritt Island and Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is the NASA space vehicle launch facility (spaceport) at Cape Canaveral on Merritt Island in Florida, United States. ... State nickname: Everglade State, Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... February 3 is the 34th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... U.S. military MILSTAR communications satellite A communications satellite (sometimes abbreviated to comsat) is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purposes of telecommunications or reconnaisance using radio at microwave frequencies. ...

This mission marked the first checkout of the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) and Manipulator Foot Restraint (MFR). McCandless made the first, untethered, free flight on each of the two MMUs carried on board.

After eight days in orbit Challenger made the first landing on the runway at the Kennedy Space Center on February 11, 1984. February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

STS-31

On this five-day Discovery flight, launched on April 24, 1990 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the crew deployed the Hubble Space Telescope from their record-setting altitude of 380 miles. Discovery has multiple meanings: For observing or finding something unknown to ones culture, see discovery (observation). ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... 1990 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a telescope orbiting the Earth 370 miles above the atmosphere. ...

Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on April 29, 1990. Edwards Air Force Base is a base located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley, northeast of Lancaster, at 34°57′ N 117°52′ W. An airbase since 1933, Edwards has long been a home for flight research and testing and has... State nickname: The Golden State Other U.S. States Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Official languages English Area 410,000 km² (3rd)  - Land 404,298 km²  - Water 20,047 km² (4. ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ...

Honors

• Legion of Merit (1988)
• Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal (1985)
• National Defense Service Medal
• American Expeditionary Service Medal
• NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1974)
• American Astronautical Society Victor A. Prather Award (1975,1985)
• NASA Space Flight Medal (1984)
• NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal (1985)
• National Aeronautic Association Collier Trophy (1985)
• Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum Trophy (1985).

He was awarded one patent for the design of a tool tethering system that is currently used during Shuttle spacewalks. Legion of Merit medal The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces which is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Defense Distinguished Service Medal is a United States military award which is presented for exceptionally distinguished performance of duty contributing to national security or defense of the United States. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Defense Service Medal is a military decoration of the United States military and was the brainchild of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The NASA Space Flight Medal is a decoration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration which is awarded to any astronaut who performs a significant achievement or meritorious deed while engaged in a United States space mission. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The primary mission of NAA is the advancement of the art, sport, and science of aviation and space flight by fostering opportunities to participate fully in aviation activities and by promoting public understanding of the importance of aviation and space flight to the United States. ... The Collier Trophy is the most prestigious award in the aviation field, given once a year to those that have made the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Smithsonian castle, as seen through the garden gate. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a government to an inventor or applicant for a limited amount of time (normally maximum 20 years from the filing date, depending on extension). ... The Space Shuttle Columbia seconds after engine ignition, 1981 (NASA). ... Astronaut Bruce McCandless on an untethered EVA Extra-vehicular activity (EVA) is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth and outside of his or her spacecraft. ...

Organizations

Member of:

• U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association (Class of 1958)
• U.S. Naval Institute
• Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers
• American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Association for Computing Machinery
• National Audubon Society

He is a fellow of the American Astronautical Society and former president of the Houston Audubon Society. The United States Naval Institute is a non-profit, professional organization in the United States. ... The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE (pronounced as eye-triple-ee) is an international non-profit, professional organization incorporated in the State of New York, United States. ... The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is the scholarly society for the field of aerospace engineering. ... The Association for Computing Machinery, or ACM, was founded in 1947 as the worlds first scientific and educational computing society. ... The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to nature conservancy. ... Skyline of Downtown Houston from Eleanor Tinsley Park Located in southeast Texas, Houston is the fourth largest city in the United States and one of the two largest economic areas in Texas. ... The National Audubon Society is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to nature conservancy. ...

Personal

McCandless married Bernice Doyle, and the couple have two grown children. His recreational interests include electronics, photography, scuba diving, and flying. He also enjoys cross country skiing. Electronics is the study and use of electrical devices that operate by controlling the flow of electrons or other electrically charged particles in devices such as thermionic valves and semiconductors. ... Lens and mounting of a large format camera Photography is the process of making pictures by means of the action of light. ... SCUBA is an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. ... Cross-country skiing (aka XC skiing) is an adventure and fitness activity as well as a competitive winter sport popular in many countries with large snowfields, primarily in Europe and Canada. ...

External link

NASA biography (http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/mccandless-b.html) (from which this article is derived)

Accurate to May 1990