“It might have been one small step for Neil,” McCandless quipped in reference to Armstrong’s well-known phrases, “nevertheless it’s a heck of a giant leap for me.” As The New York Occasions reported on the time, “Freed from any lifeline and propelled into the darkish void by tiny jets, they grew to become, in impact, the primary human satellites.”
The MMUs have been powered by two dozen gaseous nitrogen thrusters saved in tanks on the astronaut’s backpack, enabling free motion in area. Management was achieved via hand controllers, permitting spacewalkers to regulate thrust and route for exact navigation throughout extravehicular actions. The expertise demonstration labored, however “many within the company have been fearful about using a self-propelled and untethered backpack in area,” as NASA historian Jennifer Ross-Nazzal wrote in her retrospective.