Former NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless died in California on Thursday, the agency’s Johnson Space Centre has announced.
No cause of death was given.
Mr McCandless became the first astronaut to fly untethered in space while strapped into NASA’s Manned Manoeuvring Unit (MMU).
Speaking of his famous spacewalk in 2015, he wrote: “My wife was at mission control and there was quite a bit of apprehension.
“I wanted to say something similar to Neil Armstrong when he landed on the moon so I said ‘it may have been a small step for Neil, but it’s a heck of a big leap for me’. That loosened the tension a bit.”
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Mr McCandless also helped to develop the jetpack and was later part of the shuttle crew that delivered the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit.
He was also the Mission Control capsule communicator in Houston as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon in 1969.
In response to his death, NASA tweeted: “We’re saddened by the loss of retired astronaut Bruce McCandless II.
“Most known for being the first human to free-float on a shuttle spacewalk, he also served as the Apollo 11 moonwalkers’ link to mission control and helped launch.”
NASA administrator Robert Lightfoot said: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bruce’s family.
“NASA administrator Robert Lightfoot said: “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bruce’s family.”
Mr McCandless spent 312 hours in space during his career.
His death means he leaves behind his wife Ellen, his son Bruce, his daughter Tracy and two granddaughters.