Tuesday, July 25, 1989

Gemini 4

  1965-043A


Gemini IV saw the first American spacewalk, by pilot Ed White.

Immediately after orbit insertion, the astronauts attempted to rendezvous with the Titan second stage, but this experiment was abandoned after a few minutes when too much OAMS fuel was consumed.

The cabin was depressurized at 1933, with the hatch open at 1934. White stood up in the hatch at 1936, and left the spacecraft at 1946, attached by an umbilical. He used a gas gun to move around in space, and returned to the cabin at 2006. The hatch was closed at 2010 and the cabin repressurized at 2013 after 39 m 15s. Command Pilot James McDivitt had remained within the unpressurized cabin, which was open to space during the EVA.

White used the G4C spacesuit and a ZIP (Zero g Integral Propulsion) Unit for maneuvering and the VCM device for life support. A planned equipment dump was cancelled, but during the EVA an outer glove and a gold-covered visor were discarded.

Splashdown was at 27 44 N, 74 11 W in the Atlantic; the spacecraft was recovered by the USS Wasp.


GT-4 
 

DateTimeEventOrbit  

1965 Jun 3  1515:59  Launch from LC19 
  Stage 1 sep 
 1521  Orbit insertion  161 x 282 x 32.5 
 1521  St 2 sep 
 1522-1530  Attempted stationkeep 
 1710   88.8 165 x 289 x 32.5 
 1933:35  Depress 
 1946  Egress, EVA by White (21m) 
 1947  Glove drifts out 
 2010  Hatch closed 
 2012:50  Repress 
1965 Jun 5  1415OAMS D-9 expt 
 1730  Stage 2 reentry over Atlantic 33W 15N 
1965 Jun 6  0601OAMS D-9 expt 
1965 Jun 7  0000?  158 x 257 x 32.5 

1644:01  OAMS burn, lower peri 2:41 56kg of fuel  50? x 274?  
 1655:30?  Adapter sep 
 1656:00  Retrofire 
 1656:15? Retrofire complete 
 1656:39? Retropack sep 
 1658:38s 400K 
 1712:11  Splashdown  
 1748Recovery by USS Wasp 

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