This iconic photograph is still considered one of the most-terrifying space photographs to date. Astronaut Bruce McCandless II became the first human being to do a spacewalk without a safety tether linked to a spacecraft. In 1984, he floated completely untethered in space with nothing but his Manned Maneuvering Unit keeping him alive.
I don’t know. I think every astronaut learns to trust the equipment and is meticulous in maintaining it, as well as, trusting his crew. Once there, and being outside on a tether, it would be so freeing to let go, not having that umbilical cord would be amazing. Same with taking that first step on the moon and going off in the rover to explore. He was probably safer doing that than driving his car on the highway.
