Astronaut Bruce McCandless II approaches his most distance from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger on this 70mm body photographed by his fellow crewmembers onboard the reusable car. McCandless is within the midst of the primary “field” tryout of the nitrogen-propelled, hand-controlled back-pack gadget known as the manned maneuvering unit (MMU). Astronaut Robert L. Stewart received an opportunity to check the identical unit some time later within the prolonged EVA session whereas the 2 spacewalkers had been photographed and monitored by their fellow crewmembers in Challenger’s cabin. Those inside had been Astronauts Vance D. Brand, Robert L. Gibson and Dr. Ronald E. McNair.
