Tales of Social Distancing, Jet Pack Edition: Astronaut Bruce McCandless II floats in space alongside the Space Shuttle Challenger on the debut mission of the MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit), circa 1984. The MMU allowed for tether-free mobility for the ultimate in antenna-adjustment when deploying & retrieving satellites, and moved around by shooting nitrogen from 24 nozzle thrusters at different locations. It weighed about the same as the fridge in your kitchen. Originally developed by McCandless & engineer Charles “Ed” Whitsett (who first posited the idea in a master’s thesis), the MMU was first tested inside the Skylab space station in 1973. Who says you can’t have fun indoors. (Photo: NASA)