Terrifying true story behind the 'scariest space photo ever taken'

There is a terrifying true story behind the ‘scariest space photo ever taken’.

Venturing to space is a task that few people ever get to experience but once up there, astronauts risk their lives in brave missions.

One particularly courageous astronaut is Bruce McCandless II who became the first person ever in history to do an untethered spacewalk.

Testing out a jetpack, McCandless jetted off away from his spacecraft, with nothing but endless space around him.

A picture of the astronaut was captured during his risky mission and it is now thought of as the scariest image of space to have been taken.

YouTuber Thomas Mulligan delved into the topic, sharing the story with his subscribers.

In the clip, Thomas said: “They say that this is the scariest space photo ever taken and I don't think you really understand just how insane this is.

“This is a picture of Bruce McCandless, the very first human ever to do an untethered spacewalk.

The image of the astronaut is considered to be the scariest space photo (NASA)

“He went 100 meters or about 330 feet away from his space shuttle without anything connecting him to it, 290 km (180 miles) off of the surface of Earth, surrounded by nothing but trillions of miles of empty space.

“The purpose of this was to test the man maneuvering unit, essentially a space jetpack and lucky for him, it worked and he was able to make it back to the Challenger.

“When asked about the experience he said that it was so cold that his teeth were chattering and he was shivering but he felt a mix of personal elation and professional pride.”

40 years after it was taken and the photo still remains iconic (NASA)

Showing his audience another snap of the brave astronaut, the YouTuber continued: “Here's another picture of him getting ready to float away.

“It's been 40 years since this picture was taken and it's still one of NASA's most iconic photographs and the perfect symbol of human exploration and innovation.”

Bruce McCandless II made history doing the first untethered spacewalk (HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Viewers were shocked by the picture, with many taking to the YouTube comment section to share their reactions.

One user wrote: “That man has straight nerves of steel.”

Another said: “That guy was so true to his work, I can't even imagine how bad the situation could've gotten if the jet wouldn't have worked, wandering off into empty space is unimaginably terrifying.”

A third person commented: “He floated between the middle of nothing and everything that means something to him. Poetic.”

And a fourth added: “It’s amazing that those primates evolved so much that they were able to look down at their own sky.”