Echoes Among the Stars: The Original Website
The First Era in Space, 1957-1975
Gemini 4
June 3 - June 7, 1965
An American Spacewalk
Crewed by Edward White II (above) and James McDivitt, Gemini 4 was the first mission to fly without any of the original Mercury astronauts. White became the first American to ‘walk’ in space, while McDivitt recorded the historic moment on film, resulting in some of the most enduring images of the entire space program. NASA photo.
A Defining Moment
Ed White’s spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission marked just the second time a human being had ever floated freely in space, as it closely followed the first-ever “EVA” (extravehicular activity), by Soviet Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov in March, 1965. After twelve minutes of peaceful floating, White struggled mightily to pull himself back into the Gemini craft. NASA photo.
Honors for a Job Well Done
Astronauts James McDivitt and Ed White are congratulated by President Lyndon B. Johnson for their momentous Gemini 4 mission. The achievements of the space program were seen by successive presidential administrations as vital to America’s prestige during the nation’s Cold War competition with the Soviet Union and the two countries’ race to the moon. NASA photo.
