Astronaut involved in the 'most terrifying photo' ever taken in space spoke out to reveal what happened

An image taken in space has haunted people for decades, with many calling it the ‘most terrifying photo’ ever captured of an astronaut beyond Earth.

The image shows NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless II floating completely untethered in the darkness of space, with nothing but Earth far below him.

To most people, it looks like the stuff of nightmares.

But according to the astronaut himself, the reality felt very different.

Bruce McCandless II made history during NASA’s untethered spacewalk

The iconic image was captured during NASA’s STS-41B mission aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in February 1984.

McCandless and fellow astronaut Bob Stewart tested a device called the Manned Maneuvering Unit, essentially an experimental space jetpack that allowed astronauts to move freely without being attached to the spacecraft by a tether.

During the mission, McCandless became the first human ever to do an untethered spacewalk, drifting about 100 yards away from the shuttle while orbiting Earth at roughly 18,000mph.

The resulting photo became legendary almost instantly.

The tiny astronaut floating alone against the blackness of space has since been widely described online as the ‘most terrifying photo’ NASA has ever produced, with social media users admitting the picture made them feel physically anxious.

The astronaut admitted there was real tension behind the scenes of the ‘most terrifying photo’

Even though the image looks horrifying, McCandless later explained that he actually felt a huge sense of accomplishment during the mission.

Speaking years later in an interview with the Guardian, he described the experience as ‘a wonderful feeling’ and said it was a mix of ‘personal elation and professional pride’.

He also revealed there had been genuine nervousness inside NASA before the historic moment.

“My wife was at mission control, and there was quite a bit of apprehension,” he recalled.

McCandless even joked that he wanted his own version of Neil Armstrong’s famous Moon landing quote, saying: “It may have been a small step for Neil, but it’s a heck of a big leap for me.”

Despite the terrifying appearance of the photo, McCandless said he barely noticed the incredible speed because the shuttle was moving alongside him at the same pace.

“It was only when I looked at the Earth that I could tell we were moving fairly rapidly,” he explained.

More than 40 years later, the image still fascinates people online and remains one of NASA’s most iconic space photographs ever taken.