Go4Liftoff - Ed White

Ed White

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Nationality American

Date Of Birth 1930-11-14

Deceased 1967-01-27

Status Lost In Training

Type Government

Agency

Astronaut Biography

Edward Higgins White II was an American aeronautical engineer, U.S. Air Force officer, test pilot, and NASA astronaut. On June 3, 1965, he became the first American to walk in space. White died along with astronauts Virgil "Gus" Grissom and Roger B. Chaffee during prelaunch testing for the first manned Apollo mission at Cape Canaveral. He was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal for his flight in Gemini 4 and was then awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor posthumously.