Floating Into History: Gemini 4 and America’s First Spacewalk

On June 3, 1965, astronaut Edward H. White II stepped out of the Gemini 4 spacecraft and into history, becoming the first American to walk in space. During the mission’s third orbit around Earth, White opened the hatch and floated into the void above the Pacific Ocean, tethered to the spacecraft by an umbilical line.

To maneuver, he used a hand-held oxygen-powered device often called a “zip gun.” After its fuel was exhausted a few minutes into the excursion, White continued moving by twisting his body and pulling on his tether. His spacewalk lasted 23 minutes, carrying him from above Hawaii to the Gulf of Mexico.

White was so captivated by the experience that he was reluctant to return to the capsule. Ordered back inside by mission control, he later called it “the saddest moment of my life.” Re-entering the spacecraft proved challenging when the hatch mechanism resisted closing, but White and command pilot James McDivitt successfully secured it and completed their four-day mission.

America had taken its first step toward the Moon.