Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2023 May 14
   [2]An astronaut is seen hovering over the Earth. In the top part of the
     image, the astronaut is seen against the darkness of space. In the
    lower part of the image, the Earth is bright blue with white clouds.
          Please see the explanation for more detailed information.

                            To Fly Free in Space
                      Image Credit: [3]NASA, [4]STS-41B

   Explanation: What would it be like to fly free in space? At about 100
   meters from the cargo bay of the [5]space shuttle Challenger, Bruce
   McCandless II was living the dream -- floating farther out than anyone
   had ever been before. Guided by a [6]Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU),
   astronaut McCandless, [7]pictured, was [8]floating free in space.
   During [9]Space Shuttle mission [10]41-B in [11]1984, [12]McCandless
   and fellow [13]NASA astronaut [14]Robert Stewart were the first to
   [15]experience such an "un[16]tethered [17]space walk". The [18]MMU
   worked by shooting jets of [19]nitrogen and was used to help deploy and
   [20]retrieve satellites. With a mass over 140 kilograms, an [21]MMU is
   heavy on [22]Earth, but, like everything, is weightless when drifting
   in orbit. The MMU was later replaced with the [23]SAFER backpack
   propulsion unit.

                        Tomorrow's picture: red eagle
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [35]Robert Nemiroff ([36]MTU) & [37]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([38]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [39]Specific rights apply.
              [40]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [41]ASD at [42]NASA / [43]GSFC,
                         [44]NASA Science Activation
                           & [45]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2305/freeflyer_nasa_3000.jpg
   3. https://www.nasa.gov/
   4. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/archives/sts-41B.html
   5. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap950809.html
   6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manned_Maneuvering_Unit
   7. https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/nasa-celebrates-50-years-of-spacewalking
   8. https://youtu.be/RvnC--JjDBw
   9. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap990411.html
  10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-41-B
  11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four
  12. https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/astronaut-bruce-mccandless-ii-dies-at-80
  13. https://www.nasa.gov/astronauts
  14. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/stewart_robert.pdf
  15. https://youtu.be/7K5DiKsZhTk
  16. http://www-istp.gsfc.nasa.gov/Education/wtether.html
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap990801.html
  18. https://youtu.be/92ZRVlKuc0U
  19. https://periodic.lanl.gov/7.shtml
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap121209.html
  21. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manned_Maneuvering_Unit
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220206.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap011002.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230513.html
  25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  28. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  33. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230514
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230515.html
  35. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  36. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  37. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  38. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  39. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  40. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  41. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  44. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  45. http://www.mtu.edu/