Ed White (astronaut)

Lore & Background

His interest in aviation was sparked at age twelve when his father took him for a ride in a North American T-6 Texan trainer. He served as pilot of Gemini 4 alongside command pilot James McDivitt. He was then assigned as senior pilot of the first crewed Apollo mission, Apollo 1. Chaffee in a fire during pre-launch testing for Apollo 1 at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Reader's Guide

Ed White's significance lies in his role as the first American to perform a spacewalk, a milestone that demonstrated the feasibility of extravehicular activity for the U.S. space program. His flight on Gemini 4, though marked by an unsuccessful rendezvous attempt, proved that astronauts could operate outside their spacecraft, paving the way for later Apollo missions. White's death in the Apollo 1 fire, along with Grissom and Chaffee, was a tragic setback that led to major safety improvements in spacecraft design. His legacy is also reflected in the posthumous award of the Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the NASA Distinguished Service Medal for his Gemini 4 flight. White's career, from West Point to test pilot to astronaut, exemplifies the transition from military aviation to space exploration.

Did You Know?

• White earned the nickname 'Red' from the color of his hair at West Point.
• On his spacewalk, White carried a gold cross, a St. Christopher Medal, and a Star of David.
• His father, Edward Higgins White Sr., was a major general in the United States Air Force.

A Military Brat's Road to the Skies

military attaché. Growing up as the son of a career Army officer meant a childhood of constant relocation—Rome, Oklahoma, Governors Island, Maryland, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Texas, and Virginia all became temporary homes. He served as an altar boy at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., and recalled being, in his own words, probably the only astronaut who had never been a Boy Scout. A brief moment of aviation wonder came in Puerto Rico when a Grumman Widgeon pilot let the young boy take the controls for a short stretch, though the outbreak of World War II dashed any near-term chance to fly again. After attending St. Albans School in the capital, Collins rejected his mother's wish for a diplomatic career and instead followed the family's deep military tradition. His father, older brother, two uncles, and a cousin had all worn uniforms.

Sabres, France, and the Edge of Test Flying

Collins' flight training progressed rapidly through the early 1950s, moving from the T-6 Texan in Mississippi to jet instruction in Waco, Texas, where he earned his wings. He described flying as something that came naturally, and unlike many peers he carried little dread of failure. Air Force Experimental Flight Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base, where he also completed the Aerospace Research Pilot School as part of Class III, sharpening the skills that would later serve him in space.

Gemini, Apollo, and the Lonely Orbit

Three years later, aboard the command module Columbia on Apollo 11, he circled the Moon thirty times while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended to the surface. That solo lunar orbit made him the second person, after Young's Apollo 10 flight, to circle the Moon without another crewmate. Across those two missions Collins cemented a place among the twenty-four Apollo astronauts who reached the Moon, and his combination of EVA experience and solo orbital capability marked him as one of the most versatile spacefliers of his era.

From the Moon to the Museum and Beyond

Air Force Reserve.