Answer:
He can return to the spacecraft by sacrificing some of the tools employing the principle of conservation of momentum.
Explanation:
By carefully evaluating his direction back to the ship, the astronaut can throw some of his tools in the opposite direction to that. On throwing those tools of a certain mass, they travel at a certain velocity giving him velocity in the form of recoil in the opposite direction of the velocity of the tools. This is same as a gun and bullet recoil momentum conservation. It is also the principle on which the operational principles of their maneuvering unit is designed.
Mainly because he was Johnny Carson's advisor and consultant
on space, astronomy, and science in general, and he appeared
on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson many times.