NASA Remembers Astronaut Bruce McCandless II

Former NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless II, mission specialist on the STS-41B and STS-31 missions, passed away on Dec. 21, 2017, at the age of 80.

McCandless is perhaps best remembered as the subject of a famous NASA photograph (below right), flying alongside the space shuttle in the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) -- the first astronaut to fly untethered from his spacecraft. His time as an astronaut encompassed much more than that mission, including serving as the Mission Control communicator for Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's moonwalk on the Apollo 11 mission.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bruce's family," said acting NASA Administrator Robert Lightfoot. "He will always be known for his iconic photo flying the MMU."

McCandless, a retired U. S. Navy captain, was one of the 19 astronauts selected by NASA in April 1966. He was a member of the astronaut support crew for the Apollo 14 mission and was backup pilot for the first crewed Skylab mission. He flew as a mission specialist on two space shuttle missions. On STS-41B in 1984, he performed the famous spacewalk and on STS-31 in 1990 he helped deploy the Hubble Space Telescope.

McCandless came from a Navy family; his father was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (13 November 1942).

The elder McCandless—then a Lieutenant Commander—was communications officer on the USS San Francisco. The cruiser was the flagship for Rear Admiral Daniel Callaghan, who was leading a force of cruisers and destroyers against a Japanese flotilla steaming down The Slot.

Callaghan’s previous assignment was as naval aide to FDR; he had only recently arrived in the Pacific theater and had less combat experience than Rear Admiral Norman Scott, who was also part of the battle force that night. But since Callaghan’s date of rank preceded Scott by a matter of weeks, we was in command.

Amazingly, Callaghan never communicated a plan with his subordinates, and (with little understanding of radar), placed his vessels with the best systems at the rear of the formation.

As the battle quickly unfolded, Callaghan and his column found themselves bracketed by Japanese formations. Callaghan ordered “odd ships (in his line) fire to starboard, even number fire to port.” Moments later, Japanese fire struck the bridge of the San Francisco, killing Callaghan and every other senior officer except Bruce McCandless. Scott also died about the same time, when a salvo struck the USS Atlanta, his flagship. Most historians believe the round came from the San Francisco, which mistook the light cruiser for a Japanese vessel.

Amid the death and chaos, McCandless took the conn and de facto command of surviving US forces. He led the formation out the fight and prevented a stinging tactical defeat from becoming a full-fledged rout. McCandless’s role in leading the remaining ships out of danger was down-played in early accounts of the battle and his CMH citation. American leaders didn’t want to highlight what a debacle the battle had been, and the poor leadership exhibited by commanders on the scene.

Admiral McCandless (he was elevated to flag rank on the retired list) lived long enough to see his son selected for the astronaut program. The same held true for his grandfather, Byron McCandless, a naval officer who wrote one of the first scholarly works in the history of the American flag.

Bruce McCandless II was a worthy heir to a proud Navy family. R.I.P.

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