Claim: A photograph shows astronaut Bruce McCandless II floating untethered in space over a mountain range.
A photograph of an astronaut floating away from a space shuttle untethered has been doing rounds on social media. The photo, taken in February 1984, shows the astronaut in a white space suit floating in the void as the blue Earth’s sphere looms under him.
It was clicked when Bruce McCandless II had stepped out of the Challenger space shuttle to rehearse for a satellite-repair mission. He was the first astronaut to have walked in space while being untethered from the spacecraft.
Perhaps the most-terrifying space photograph to date. Astronaut Bruce McCandless II floats completely untethered, away from the safety of the space shuttle, with nothing but his Manned Maneuvering Unit keeping him alive. The first person in history to do so.
“Astronaut Bruce McCandless is seen floating above Earth. He is farther away from the safety of his spaceship than any astronaut had ever been.”
Check out NASA Article here: https://www.nasa.gov/astronautprofiles/mccandless
Video: Astronaut Bruce McCandless II Floats Free in Space
