It’s no wonder that he didn’t want to come back in.
On June 3 1965 astronaut Ed White became the first American to go on a spacewalk – which lasted 23 minutes.
Needless to say, it was quite an experience and flight control had difficulty persuading him to return to the craft.
It is reported that he described clambering back inside as the saddest moment of his life.
However, ground control were very aware that time was not on his side. If he'd stayed out for too long the station tracking the craft from Bermuda would have lost contact - and darkness would have fallen.
Incredible footage of the landmark event has been uploaded to YouTube with users awestruck by the images.
When White eased himself out of Gemini IV he was travelling at nearly 18,000mph, 178 miles above Hawaii.
He floated and maneuvered himself around the craft while logging 6,500 miles during his orbital stroll. White was attached to the spacecraft by a 25-foot umbilical line and a 23-foot tether line, both wrapped in gold tape to form one cord.
The visor of his helmet is gold plated to protect him from the unfiltered rays of the sun and his suit was pressurised with oxygen.
He was attached to a hose that supplied the craft with air and was able to move around thanks to a small nitrogen-powered gun.
Nasa, however, was beaten to it by Russia, who sent Alexei Leonov on a spacewalk on March 18, 1965.
It’s widely accepted that the U.S spacewalk was a propaganda response to this.
Ten crews flew during the Gemini missions, which took place between 1965 and 1966. They helped Nasa get ready for moon landings.
An incredible 134 aircraft and 26 ships were involved in recovering the craft when it eventually returned to Earth.
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