Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Floating Free in Space

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 11, 1997 is “Floating Free in Space,” an image. It is credited to Credit: NASA, STS-41B Crew. The original explanation runs about 55 words.

Floating Free in Space
Credit: NASA, STS-41B Crew Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“NASA astronauts can float free in space without any connection to a spaceship. Here astronaut Bruce McCandless maneuvers outside the Space Shuttle Challenger by firing nitrogen gas thrusters on his manned maneuvering unit (MMU).”

— APOD editors, October 11, 1997

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
October 11, 1997
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: NASA, STS-41B Crew
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 55 words

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.