Sixty years ago, NASA astronaut Ed White became the first American to walk in space. The Texas native performed the first spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965.

Astronaut Ed White performing a spacewalk on June 3, 1965. (NASA)

The event occurred over the Pacific Ocean, starting at 3:45 p.m. Eastern Time near Hawaii. The trip lasted 23 minutes, eventually ending over the Gulf. In the end, he had traveled 6,500 miles at a speed of 17,000 miles per hour.

NASA astronaut Ed White. (NASA)

White used a handheld maneuvering oxygen jet gun to push himself out of the capsule and move back and forth to the end of a 26-foot-long tether. Once the jet gun fuel expired, White pulled himself back and forth with the tether.

Astronaut Ed White performing a spacewalk on June 3, 1965.

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