Who was first? Remembering a historic space walk from inside NASA

I read the article by Gary Zupancic on Candy Wellins’ book: The Stars Beckoned” in the 4/29/21 View. Very informing and, I’m sure, inspiring to young readers interested in space, NASA and STEM subjects! However, having been at NASA in Houston from 1962 until 2011, I feel I must comment on a slightly deceptive paragraph:”,,,students wanted to know who was first. The Russians were first in many areas, first in space, first woman and so on. But what about a space walk?” Then, Gary goes on to tell of Ed White’s EVA, etc. Yes, it was the US first attempt, but it was in response to the cosmonaut, Alexi Leonov’s EVA first a month or so earlier! I worked w Leonov and the US crew (Stafford, Brand & Slayton) on the joint US-USSR (Apollo/ Soyuz Test Project) international mission successfully flown in July1975–a first in itself! Leonov was a great guy, and he almost died on that first EVA when his suit was too inflated and he barely managed to make it back inside! But it WAS another Russian first. Btw, I also was on the team for Gemini 6a/7- world’s first space rendezvous of two S/C in Dec. 1965! We DID beat the Russians at that by about two years!

I’m sure there was no intent to infer Ed’s EVA was a first— and Gary’s is a minor omission, but historical revisionism has been growing in the last few years (I’ll just state: “Hidden Figures”, and leave it at that!) so I felt I should advise of that omission! Again, the story of Ed’s EVA and Candy’s book for kids is otherwise superb and we need more like it!

From an old Nasa guy,

Ken Young