On This Day 60 Years Ago: The First American Spacewalk
Sixty years ago, NASA astronaut Ed White became the first American to walk in space. The Texas native performed the first spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965.
The event occurred over the Pacific Ocean, starting at 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time near Hawaii. The trip lasted 23 minutes, eventually ending over the Gulf. In the end, he had traveled 6,500 miles at a speed of 17,000 miles per hour.
White used a handheld maneuvering oxygen jet gun to push himself out of the capsule and move back and forth to the end of a 26-foot-long tether. Once the jet gun fuel expired, White pulled himself back and forth with the tether.
When the spacewalk ended, White returned to the capsule, famously stating, 'This is the saddest moment of my life.' The 4-day Gemini mission helped study the effects of prolonged spaceflight. White was the mission pilot, while James McDivitt served as the mission commander.
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