Mission Monday: Five fast facts about the first American spacewalk

On June 3, 1965, the first space walk by an American was made by astronaut Ed White during the Gemini 4 mission. From the article:

"On June 3, 1965, NASA astronaut Ed White stepped out of his Gemini capsule and into space for the first American spacewalk.

Attached by only a 23 foot tether and 25 foot umbilical, White floated in space for roughly 20 minutes. Circling the Earth at a speed of 17,000 miles per hour, he traveled 6,500 miles.

The first American spacewalk was a part of the four-day Gemini IV mission to study the effects of prolonged spaceflight. Ed White served as the mission pilot and James McDivitt as the mission commander. The crew of two spent the remainder of their flight conducting 11 experiments, which included Earth photography and spacecraft navigation."