Astronaut Bruce McCandless has Died aged 80.
Discussion
McCandless also acted as the Capcom during Armstrong and Aldrin's Apollo 11 moonwalk.
He was recruited as an astronaut in 1966 but he never got the chance to fly any Apollo missions. He decided to stay with NASA and wait for the Shuttle but didn't get his first flight until 1984 - so an 18 year wait.
He was recruited as an astronaut in 1966 but he never got the chance to fly any Apollo missions. He decided to stay with NASA and wait for the Shuttle but didn't get his first flight until 1984 - so an 18 year wait.
NASA over recruited in the mid 1960s. In addition to their own astronaut intake, in 1969 they were also "donated" a bunch of USAF astronauts when the Manned Orbiting Laboratory programme. NASA didn't really want these guys because, by 1969 they knew that they already had too many astronauts.
As it happened, it was these MOL guys who made up some of the key crews for the early Shuttle flights.
As it happened, it was these MOL guys who made up some of the key crews for the early Shuttle flights.
Balls of steel, that must have really got his heart racing!!Eric Mc said:
They used it a few more times - but abandoned it after Challenger.
Partly because they learned on the same mission that the Orbiter itself was just as manoeuvrable as the Manned Manoeuvring Unit.During the mission, one of McCandless' foot restraints floated away. Rather than risking it becoming space debris, the crew simply used Challengers' Reaction Control System (the small thrusters that enable precise manoeuvring in orbit) to fly McCandless' hand to the loose restraint until he reached out and grabbed it from the safety of the payload bay.
On the next mission, an attempt to use a MMU-equipped astronaut to grapple a satellite almost ended in disaster as the satellite began to tumble out of control. Instead Canadarm was used to grapple the satellite and bring it back under control. This together with experiments to strap an astronaut to the end of Candarm proved that the MMU did not offer many benefits compared to the risks involved vs manoeuvring the Orbiter or Canadarm.
So too now has John Young (87) the only person to have piloted and been commander of Gemini, the Apollo Command/Service Module, the Apollo Lunar Module, and the Space Shuttle.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42592057
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42592057
Yes, another incredible man.
Former astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr. died back in November as well. He was 88.
He first went into space as pilot of Gemini 11 in 1966, alongside Pete Conrad. They'd previously been roommates on the aircraft carrier USS Ranger.
They'd both fly together again (with Al Bean) on Apollo 12. Conrad and Bean landing on the moon, while Gordon stayed on the Command Module.
He was slated to command Apollo 18 and get a chance to walk on the moon himself, but of course the Apollo program was cancelled at 17.
He later worked on the design of the Space Shuttle.
Former astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr. died back in November as well. He was 88.
He first went into space as pilot of Gemini 11 in 1966, alongside Pete Conrad. They'd previously been roommates on the aircraft carrier USS Ranger.
They'd both fly together again (with Al Bean) on Apollo 12. Conrad and Bean landing on the moon, while Gordon stayed on the Command Module.
He was slated to command Apollo 18 and get a chance to walk on the moon himself, but of course the Apollo program was cancelled at 17.
He later worked on the design of the Space Shuttle.
Matt Harper said:
Probably Orlando's most famous son.
His pioneering accomplishments are pretty incredible for a single person.
I pass there reasonably regularly, makes you think about our older “heroes “ I wonder how we are going to shake off the malaise the public has with space exploration today. It’s certainly not the same as my younger days. His pioneering accomplishments are pretty incredible for a single person.
I think interest in space exploration is reviving. There is more space activity going on now than at any time, ever (and that includes the peak of the Space Race era).
The mainstream media is pretty disinterested (as you might expect) but the internet is awash with enthusiast bloggers, youtubers, programme makers etc.
All US and European launches are all available to watch on the internet and even the Russians, Japanese, Indians and Chinese put theirs up on youtube to watch - many of these also live.
We are literally on the verge of a new Golden Age of space exploration.
The mainstream media is pretty disinterested (as you might expect) but the internet is awash with enthusiast bloggers, youtubers, programme makers etc.
All US and European launches are all available to watch on the internet and even the Russians, Japanese, Indians and Chinese put theirs up on youtube to watch - many of these also live.
We are literally on the verge of a new Golden Age of space exploration.
Yipper said:
Someone recently offered me a ticket into space, scheduled for 2020-2022, for ~£140k.
The next few years are going to be interesting for consumer space travel.
They certainly are.The next few years are going to be interesting for consumer space travel.
At the moment, there are two options - Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin.
VG is well behind its original timetable so its likely that Blue Origin will beat them to the punch.
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