First American space walk. Astronaut Edward H. White II floating in space during the Gemini IV space mission. White spent 21 minutes outside the spacecraft on 3rd June 1965, becoming the first American to walk in space. He was attached to the spacecraft by a tether and umbilical line (gold) and carried an emergency oxygen supply on his chest. A gold-plated visor protected him from the unfiltered rays of the sun. In his right hand is a hand held self manouvering unit. The Gemini IV mission lasted for 4 days, during which the spacecraft orbited Earth 62 times. White and fellow pilot James A. McDivitt performed a series of scientific and engineering experiments.