November 14, 2020 ... Edward White would have been 90 !

SpeedyPhill · Oct 29, 2020

Tribute topic : weekly photo until the end-of-this-year
As next month, November 14, the late Edward White would have celebrated his 90th birthday, MoonwatchUniverse will bring some rarely seen photos of USMA West Point graduate & NASA Group 2 astronaut Edward H. White II
☕
Wristwatch-wise selected, these photos will span the period March 1965 to January 1967...
To start, we've selected an "Apollo 1" preparation photo showing Edward White and Virgil Grissom relaxing aboard the NASA Motor Vessel Retriever during water egress training activities in the Gulf of Mexico. Both men, together with Roger Chaffee, made up the prime crew for Apollo/Saturn Mission 204, the first manned Apollo space flight of NASA’s Moon program.
Note that astronaut Ed White wore a NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003 chronograph on a steel mesh JB Champion bracelet.
(Photo: NASA October 27, 1966)
.

airansun · Oct 29, 2020

For some reason, I do find myself thinking about Ed White more often than any other astronaut.

It must have been amazing to just open the door and step out into space. He loved the experience, from what I understand, and didn’t want to get back in Gemini 4.

lexieb007 · Oct 30, 2020

90! ...Incredible... what's taken 'merica so long to get back to the moon?! IMO!

Evitzee · Oct 30, 2020

lexieb007
90! ...Incredible... what's taken 'merica so long to get back to the moon?! IMO!

Even by the time Apollo 13 rocketed off the public was pretty much uninterested......been there, done that. The Space Shuttle wasn't very dramatic and didn't capture the imagination of the public. Space Station.....meh. The original moon landing project was so bold, so fraught with danger that everyone was interested in some way, and it was part of the Cold War with the Russkies. The steps along the way with the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs were followed with intensity. There just isn't much public enthusiasm to spend all that money on going back to the moon, especially in today's environment.

SpeedyPhill · Oct 31, 2020

This is basically going to be a wristwatch-wise Top 10 of the best Ed White images... one on a weekly basis
As there're only 9 weeks to go, I'll post these during the weekend
Here's another photo showing Ed White clearly wearing an Omega Speedmaster chronograph during preflight medical & physical check-up by military Doctors Louis Ballenberger & Robert Moser on June 1, 1965... Exactly the date when NASA Gemini program office issued its Letter of Certification for the Omega Speedmaster
.

SpeedyPhill · Nov 6, 2020

Ed White weekly photo Top 10... N° 8
This is basically going to be a wristwatch-wise Top 10 of the best Ed White images... one on a weekly basis and as there're only 8 weeks to go...
A preflight image showing Edward ready in the suitup trailer after pre-oxygenization breathing in preparation for his planned 20 minutes space walk.
The only well-known photo in our top 10, clearly showing the pair of NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 chronographs strapped over his left forearm (Photo: NASA)
.

M'Bob · Nov 6, 2020

SpeedyPhill
This is basically going to be a wristwatch-wise Top 10 of the best Ed White images... one on a weekly basis
As there're only 9 weeks to go, I'll post these during the weekend
Here's another photo showing Ed White clearly wearing an Omega Speedmaster chronograph during preflight medical & physical check-up by military Doctors Louis Ballenberger & Robert Moser on June 1, 1965... Exactly the date when NASA Gemini program office issued its Letter of Certification for the Omega Speedmaster
.

Wow. A real live doctor taking someone’s blood pressure. You can tell this photo is old...

jaguar11 · Nov 6, 2020

Great pictures!!!

TJH · Nov 6, 2020

SpeedyPhill
Ed White weekly photo Top 10... N° 8
This is basically going to be a wristwatch-wise Top 10 of the best Ed White images... one on a weekly basis and as there're only 8 weeks to go...
A preflight image showing Edward ready in the suitup trailer after pre-oxygenization breathing in preparation for his planned 20 minutes space walk.
The only well-known photo in our top 10, clearly showing the pair of NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 chronographs strapped over his left forearm (Photo: NASA)
.

What watch is Al Shepard wearing?

SpeedyPhill · Nov 6, 2020

@TJH
Al Shepard wore a no crown Accutron Astronaut GMT pilot watch... microsonic tuning fork "hummer"... which he also wore during MA-9 training as backup pilot for Gordon Cooper
.

.

TJH · Nov 6, 2020

Thank you. The ‘other’ astronaut watch...

M'Bob · Nov 6, 2020

BTW: is that a Fisher Space Pen in his pocket?

TLIGuy · Nov 6, 2020

M'Bob
BTW: is that a Fisher Space Pen in his pocket?

Just your average US Government Scripto mechanical pencil.

SpeedyPhill · Nov 13, 2020

no despair folks as my limit of 3600 posts is almost reached so, while the Edward White photo top-10 also runs elsewhere on the interwebs, I'll have to make a choice for my last 5 posts here... it's a wristwatch forum after all ☕
.
Edward White weekly photo Top 10... N° 7
June 7, 1965 the splash-down and recovery photos of the Gemini IV crew clearly show McDivitt wore two Speedmasters, one on each forerarm, while Ed White wore two NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 chronographs strapped over his left forearm.
Footage shows Ed White stepped on the deck of the USS Wasp aircraft carrier wearing one Speedmaster over his forearm as his gloves were removed in the SeaKing recovery helicopter. McDivitt still had his Speedmasters strapped over each forearm...
This rarely seen black & white photo shows both Gemini IV astronauts during the post-flight medical.
Note White kept the Omega Speedmaster from his spacesuit while McDivitt clearly had chosen to still wear both NASA-issued Speedmasters
.

.
As an extra, I have added two more color photos of the crew washed & ready for dinner, listening to onboard announcements.
(Photos: NASA)
.

M'Bob · Nov 13, 2020

SpeedyPhill
no despair folks as my limit of 3600 posts is almost reached so,

No, there is some despair. I really enjoy your contributions here, and encourage you to continue. Thanks.

flw · Nov 14, 2020

Today's the day. Happy 90th birthday, Ed White!

SpeedyPhill · Nov 14, 2020

Happy 90th birthday astronaut Edward White !
November 14, 1930 … Today would have been the 90th birthday of NASA astronaut Edward H. White, who made the first US spacewalk in June 1965. This photo, taken a week after the historic Gemini IV spaceflight mission, shows Edward White still wore one of his pair of NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 chronographs on a velcro strap.(Photo: USAF/UPI)
.

SpeedyPhill · Nov 21, 2020

So far we have seen that both astronauts kept one of their Gemini IV space-flown Speedmasters and wore it immediately on the long black velcro strap... for almost 10 days.
This June 16, 1965 photo shows astronaut Ed White, who with his wife, children and parents were welcomed by 150 thousand well-wishers in their home town, San Antonio - Texas.
Note White still wore his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster 105.003-63 chronograph on a long black velcro strap.
June 17 onwards, as both astronauts visited Washington D.C. , photos show the watches were finally worn on a JB Champion steel mesh bracelet!
.

SpeedyPhill · Nov 22, 2020

luke-warm topic reception but this is not a history nor an aviation & spaceflight forum... WWIT so the Top-10 continues SWFG
.

Omegafanman · Nov 22, 2020

I am very time poor - probably till Feb 2021 - but I always enjoys these posts and the photos when I get a free moment :0)