Today in History: First Free Flight
You might have noticed that the Everett Cafe has been featuring news displays about space travel since the launch of the Mars Mission, An Out-of-This-World Introduction to the Smith Learning Theater? We have Sputnik; Apollo 8; and, today in history, First Free Flight — events commemorating major American scientific achievements, with educational applications.
Did you know that Navy Captain Bruce McCandless became the first astronaut to fly without a rope or chain, in space? On February 7, 1984, McCandless exited the U.S. space shuttle, The Challenger, then on its fourth orbital mission, wearing a self-designed, white, jet-powered backpack that allowed him to see Earth most freely. He re-entered the craft some 90 minutes later, paving the way for future developments in space travel.
The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.
- Robert Cooke, G. S. (1984, Jan 30). Today in Sci-Tech: Floating Freely in Space. Boston Globe (1960-1986)
- O’Toole, T. (1984, Feb 07). Astronaut Sold NASA on Jet-Pack Flight. The Washington Post (1974-Current File)
- Robert Cooke, G. S. (1984, Feb 08). ‘One Heck of a Big Leap. . .’. Boston Globe (1960-1986)
- Astronauts Fly Free of Shuttle. (1984, Feb 08). The Hartford Courant (1923-1992)
- Cooke, R. (1984, Feb 08). Jet Packs Operate on Simple Principle. Boston Globe (1960-1986)
- Free Walk in Space. (1984, Feb 08). The Times of India (1861-Current)
- History’s Big Picture. (1984, Feb 08). Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File)
- Sehlstedt, A.,Jr. (1984, Feb 10). McCandless Hops Out to Retrieve Loose Part. The Sun (1837-1992)
- Milford, J.N. (1984, Feb 10). Spirits Are High in 2D Space Walk. New York Times (1923-Current File)
- Harrahan, W. (1984, Apr 19). Astronaut Says Walk in Space Was ‘Routine‘. The Hartford Courant (1923-1992)
Tips:
Check out these videos:
- Astronaut Bruce McCandless Floats Free in Space, by NASA.
- NASA Remembers Bruce McCandless II, who died on December 21, 2017 at the age of 80.
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Need to keep current, look to the past, teach a topic? The Everett Cafe features daily postings of news from around the world, and also promotes awareness of historical events from an educational context.