NASA - Lot 8

NASA GEMINI IV Mission Photograph of astronaut Ed White floating in space over New Mexico, during the first American EVA. Vintage chromogenic print on "A Kodak Paper", numbered NASA in red (S-65-30433) in the upper margin. Printed NASA-MSC legend on back. Dated June 3, 1965. 25.5 x 20.5 cm with margins. Marginal handling marks. Gemini Titan IV (GT-4) was the second crewed mission of the Gemini program. James McDivitt and Edward White successfully completed this 4-day, 62-orbit flight between June 3 and 7, 1965. Only a few weeks before liftoff, the mission program was revised to include the first spacewalk (EVA - Extra-Vehicular Activity) by an American astronaut; a direct response to the success of cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, who performed the first EVA on March 18, 1965. On this occasion, White remained outside the spacecraft for 23 minutes. Connected to the capsule by a 7.6 m oxygen supply cord, Ed White used a propulsion gun to move around the capsule, to which a camera was also attached (see lot no. 41C). The capsule's reflection can be seen on the protective visor of his helmet, gold-plated to protect him from the sun's rays. Mc Divitt, from his commander's seat in the Gemini capsule, took 16 photos of Ed White floating in space. http://tothemoon.ser.asu.edu/gallery/Gemini/4/Hasselblad%20500C%2070%20mm (Images 32 to 39, and 45 to 52). Radio transcript - this image was taken at T+04:39 after lift-off: 04:38:12 McDivitt: Okay. Ed, just free-float around. Right now we're pointing just about straight down at the ground. 04:38:14 White: Okay, now I'm taking a look back at the adapter and equipment back there. I can see the separation plane; it's quite clean. The thrusters are clean. The thermal paint, the thermal stripping looks quite good. Also, the velcro that we put on seems to be in good shape right by the camera. I'm coming back down on the spacecraft. I can sit up here and see the whole California coast. 04:38:58 White: Okay. Now I'm going to go out and see how much ..... if I've got enough harness. 04:39:26 White: The sky sure is black. Bibliography : National Geographic, September 1965, p.440-441.