EHG: Texas Space History & Astronaut Bruce McCandless II

This month we celebrate the history of the Texas Space program and astronaut Bruce McCandless II, with a presentation from his son, Bruce McCandless III. Bruce McCandless II (1937–2017) was a NASA astronaut, naval aviator, and aerospace engineer best known for making the first untethered spacewalk during the 1984 STS-41 B mission using the Manned Maneuvering Unit. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy and Stanford University, he also served on the support crew for the Apollo 11 Moon Landing and helped launch the Hubble Telescope. Over his NASA career, he logged more than 300 hours in space and became an enduring symbol of human exploration and innovation. The June 8th meeting would have been his 89th birthday. See slides for the presentation here: https://tinyurl.com/26kfe5ab (Credit: Bruce McCandless, III). Bruce McCandless III grew up near Houston’s Johnson Space Center during the Apollo era. He currently lives in Westlake with his wife, Pati. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, he is the author of Wonders All Around and co-author, with Emily Carney, of Star Bound. He has also authored several works of fiction. His writing has appeared in Air & Space Magazine, the Houston Chronicle, and other publications, and he frequently appears on space-related media and podcasts.