WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

Astronaut Edward H. White II, pilot on the Gemini-Titan IV (GT-4) spaceflight, floats in the zero gravity of space outside the Gemini IV spacecraft. His face is covered by a shaded visor to protect him from the unfiltered rays of the sun. White became the first American astronaut to walk in space. He remained outside the spacecraft for 21 minutes during the third revolution of the Gemini IV mission. He wears a specially designed spacesuit for the EVA. His right hand is holding the Hand-Held Self-Maneuvering Unit (HHSMU), with which he controlled his movements while in space, and a camera is attached to the HHSMU. He was attached to the spacecraft by a 25-feet umbilical line and a 23-feet tether line, both wrapped together with gold tape to form one cord. He wears an emergency oxygen supply check pack. Astronaut James A. McDivitt is command pilot for the GT-4 mission. The mission was a four-day, 62-revolution flight, during which McDivitt and White performed a series of scientific and engineering experiments. (This image is black and white)