posted 05-27-2017 12:50 PM               

McCandless was the youngest member of NASA's Group 5 intake when selected in April 1966. He served as capcom on Apollo 11 during the first moonwalk before joining the astronaut support crew for the Apollo 14 mission, on which he doubled as a capcom.

Reassigned to the Skylab program, McCandless received his first crew assignment as backup pilot for the space station's first crewed mission alongside backup commander Rusty Schweickart and backup science pilot Story Musgrave. He again served as a capcom on Skylab 3 and Skylab 4.

McCandless was co-investigator on the M-509 astronaut maneuvering unit experiment, which was flown on Skylab; this eventually led to his collaboration on the development of the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) used during space shuttle extravehicular activities (EVAs). He flew two space shuttle missions: STS-41B and STS-31.

Details of the event are as follows:

• Friday, 3 November 2017:
  Evening Dinner and Auction £110
  Wentbridge House Hotel
  Photo shoot: 18.00-18.45 £30 (payable on the day)
  Dinner 19.00-21.00
  Auction and autograph session

• Saturday, 4 November 2017:
  Lecture £50
  Carleton Community High School "The Infinity Theatre"
  Doors open at 14.00
  Photo shoot: 14.45-15.45 (£30 payable on the day)
  Lecture 16.00-17.00
  Q&A session, approximately 15 to 20 minutes
  Autograph session

A big thank you to the many who have already switched their Leonov tickets: your continued support is much appreciated.

posted 06-01-2017 01:50 PM               

I've transferred my ticket and the SAE will be in the mail tomorrow.

posted 06-06-2017 02:00 PM               

Ken would like to thank the many who to date, have very kindly asked that their partial refunds (for switching their Leonov tickets to Bruce McCandless) go to the charities supported by Space Lectures.

posted 06-10-2017 09:31 AM               

Your cheques have been made out and signed by Ken. He is now awaiting the second signatory to counter sign them: they will be with you shortly.

The second signatory is a local councillor heavily involved in the general election.

posted 06-22-2017 04:04 AM               

Tickets for Bruce McCandles are selling well. For anybody thinking of attending the dinner, please mail Ken first to check availability before sending any payment.

posted 09-19-2017 01:32 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Rick Mulheirn:
...it is still hoped that they will be with us in time for the Bruce McCandless event at the beginning of November.

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posted 10-01-2017 04:36 PM               

Good news! I should have my hands on the Space Lectures patches in time for the November event. I will be emailing everyone shortly who have pre-ordered. Note, I will not be taking anymore orders at this time but a limited number will be on sale at the McCandless event.

A big THANK YOU to Tim Gagnon, despite hurricane Harvey we got there in the end and to Paul (Crash) for your help sorting the delivery. You are a star!

posted 11-05-2017 03:14 PM               

Bruce and his wife Ellen began their Space Lectures adventure following a brief European vacation that included 1,000 miles driving around the UK. During their time in Scotland Bruce made tentative enquiries in to his family genealogy. I'm not sure how much he learned but one wag in tartan did suggest, "If you want to learn more about the McCandless clan you should start your search at Glasgow prison!" So impressed were they by the beautiful scenery, historic sites and warm reception, both are determined to return for another vacation, and soon.

Whenever possible Space Lectures takes their astronaut guests to local schools: to inspire the children as we all have been inspired. On Friday morning, Oyster Park Primary School in Castleford rolled out the red carpet for the McCandless' and they could not have been more welcoming. The children had been studying space in preparation for Bruce's visit and they were a credit to the school.

Polite, quiet and diligent the children took notes and without exception raised an arm when invited to ask questions. The only squeaks and fidgeting came from the assembled teachers who were so enamoured by Bruce that they formed a posse around him during lunch, taking it in turn to ask questions and pose for pictures.

Al Worden has been quoted as saying that Ellen Shields McCandless, "Is the nicest person you could ever hope to meet," and he was right. Throughout the visit, nothing was too much trouble. Ellen even insisted on serving each of the Space Lectures team a side portion of Thornton's chocolates with their eggs, bacon and black pudding at breakfast. It made a nice change from ketchup!

Married for just 3 years, Ellen accompanied Bruce throughout, and it was endearing to see them together, a "newlywed" afterglow still evident.

Friday's dinner went well and Ken has asked me to thank everybody who came. A huge thank you also to those who so generously donated some unique auction pieces: Mike Constantine at Moonpans, Charlie Duke, Chris Spain and David Mather amongst others. And Helen Sharman has a fan in Bruce, too. He bid on and won a signed copy of Helen Sharman's book "Seize the Moment."

Following dinner the couple joined the team for a quiet drink. Inevitably Bruce was asked whether he would write an autobiography. "Not at the moment but it is something I would like to do," he answered. Bruce then turned the tables and asked the team, "If I were to write my story what title would you suggest?" — a question that soon had the room humming.

Two topics Bruce promised to cover should he write his memoirs were his visit to Europe (with a shout out to Space Lectures) and the sad demise of his great, great grandfather. Formerly a lawman from North Carolina and living in Nebraska at the time, he was shot in the back and killed by Wild Bill Hickok. Therein lies a chapter!

Over breakfast the next morning the team settled on the title "McCandless Untethered." A fitting choice of book title we thought with a suggestion of scandal (even if there were none) and a whiff of intrigue. With a title like that it has to be a best seller!

Saturday's lecture proved a treat. Bruce covered a myriad of topics and dealt with his own career for only a portion of the lecture. From selection as an astronaut and developing the Manned Manoeuvring Unit (that had had such a bad press following early Gemini incarnations) to the Apollo moon landings, the achievements of the shuttle program, the Hubble Space Telescope, Doppler shift, infrared astronomy, SpaceX and even unmanned probes.

NASA's job today Bruce insisted was to manage risk, take on research and deep space exploration leaving much of the near earth space program to the private sector: and to do so in the true Kennedy spirit, "not because it is easy but because it is hard."

The consensus at the signing that followed was that everybody had enjoyed an all — encompassing masterclass on the space program, past and present with a good dollop of the future thrown in for good measure.

Before heading off to the airport Bruce and Ellen were joined in the Green Room by Mark Craig, Director of the Gene Cernan movie, "The Last Man on the Moon." Naturally they chatted about Gene and the film: their mutual respect and admiration for a much loved and dearly missed friend was evident.

Ellen thanked Mark for giving Gene an added purpose that drove him on in the latter years while Mark confided that it was a privilege and a thrill to meet Bruce and Ellen.

And then, in the blink of an eye, Bruce and Ellen had gone and the team headed off to the pub for the usual "splashdown party." Bruce and Ellen had proven a revelation and waving them off was only made easier by the prospect of doing it all again with Rick Mastracchio in March 2018.

posted 11-05-2017 05:11 PM            

When I asked him a question about his time as the capcom on the first Moon walk he stressed that the world wanted to hear Neil and Buzz so he kept his talking to a minimum. Well played sir, and if only some of our sports commentators would take a leaf out of your book!

It was nice to get talking to some new faces as well as the familier ones and I discovered a couple of cS members who made interesting conversation on the value of these events and what they mean to us.

One slight criticism I have to make is would the compere please make the announcement of the next event earlier as by the time they had remembered many people who were not waiting for an autograph had already left. Apart from that the event was very well run so thanks again to Ken and his team for all their efforts to give us such a memorable day. Already looking forward to the next one in March.

posted 11-06-2017 01:12 PM               

I think that these events are always a little bit of an unknown, and I mean that in a positive way. You never know quite what to expect from the speaker, and they never fail to deliver a polished and interesting insight into the Apollo programme, or other aspects of spaceflight that are perhaps not known to the wider audience at large.

I was fortunate to be sat next to Kite and we had an interesting chat about these events and I second his comments on how we become transfixed at the stories and little nuggets if information.

These events are a glimpse into the recent past, and give us all an opportunity to experience what happened, how it happened and almost as if we were there. A very enjoyable afternoon out - must try to attend a dinner event one of these days!

Just need to find something to sew my new 'Space Lectures' patch on to now...