77. [Gemini IV] FIRST U.S. SPACE WALK: Ed White in levitation above Earth over New Mexico James McDivitt, 3-7 June 1965 Printed 1965. Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image S-65-30433A]. With RCA / Technicolor photo laboratory Quality Control stamp, Technicolor-KSC caption "GT-4 EVA by Ed White" numbered "104KSC65C-4050" and dated "6-3-1965", and "A Kodak Paper" watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA Kennedy Space Centre, Florida). 20.3 x 25.4 cm. (8 x 10 in.) Historical context Perhaps the most stunning photograph of astronaut Ed White during the first-ever U.S. spacewalk, conducted on June 3, 1965. Taken by James McDivitt from the spacecraft, this extremely rare photograph, unpublished after the mission, powerfully portrays White appearing to levitate above Earth. He is tethered to the spacecraft by a golden umbilical cord that loops gracefully around him, emphasizing both his connection to and separation from his spacecraft. The photograph evokes awe and wonder while conveying a profound sense of freedom and isolation, representing a turning point in our understanding of what it means to be human in space. The vivid blue-green Earth below contrasts sharply with the darkness of space, accentuating the thin, fragile boundary of our atmosphere. The Gulf of California and Baja California are visible in the background. White holds a handheld manoeuvring unit, or "zip gun," in his right hand, which he used to propel himself during his 21-minute spacewalk. Literature The View from Space: American Astronaut Photography 1962-1972, Schick and Van Haaften, p. 33