Astronomy Picture of the Day

Explanation: Pictured above is the first american astronaut to walk in space: Edward White. White is seen floating outside the Gemini 4 capsule in 1965. The term "spacewalk" is deceiving since astronauts do not actually walk - they float - usually without their feet touching anything solid. White was connected to the spaceship only by a thick tether. He carried a Hand-Held Self-Maneuvering Unit which expelled gas allowing him to move around. A maneuvering device is necessary in the free-fall of space since there is nothing (besides the spacecraft) to push off of to guide movements.

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
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& Michigan Tech. U.

Publications with keywords: space
Publications with words: space
See also:

• To Fly Free in Space
• A Higher Dimensional Universe
• Walking in Space
• Construction of International Space Station Begins
• A Tether in Space
• Albert Einstein Describes Space and Time
• Astronaut at Work

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