Space drifter
On February 7, 1984, NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless made history during the STS-41-B mission by performing the first untethered spacewalk. Venturing 320 feet (98 meters) from the Space Shuttle Challenger, McCandless tested the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU)—a nitrogen jet-propelled backpack that allowed for unprecedented freedom in space. Spacewalks were already commonplace among NASA astronauts—but this felt truly sci-fi.
Related: The Coolest—and Most Frightening—Spacewalks in History
