In 1965, during NASA’s Gemini 4 mission, astronaut Ed White used a handheld maneuvering gun to control his movement while tethered outside the spacecraft. The simple device used compressed gas to push him gently through microgravity, proving that astronauts could actively navigate and work in open space, a critical step toward future space stations and deep-space missions. Follow @spaceeves #spacehistory #nasa #gemini4 #spacewalk | SpaceEve

In 1965, astronaut Ed White exited his Gemini 4 capsule and became the first American to walk in space. Tethered to the spacecraft and relying only on his suit and a handheld maneuvering gun, the mission proved that astronauts could operate in the vacuum of space, shaping every spacewalk that followed. | SpaceEve

On June 3, 1965, NASA astronaut Ed White became the first American to walk in space. White left the safety of his Gemini 4 spacecraft equipped with a spacesuit, a tether and a small gas gun for maneuvering. The spacewalk occurred just months after the first-ever spacewalk by Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, on March 18, 1965. White floated near the spacecraft for about 23 minutes. | Space.com