Life Support Umbilical, White, Gemini 4

Object Details

Summary: This tether umbilical cord was used to connect astronaut Ed White to the Gemini 4 capsule during his historic "walk in space" in June 1965, which was the first time an American astronaut left the confines of the capsule.; It is constructed of a nylon layer covered with a heat-treated gold layer (to prevent peeling), which contained a 1/2 inch flat nylon tether, a silicone rubber oxygen hose and four electrical connectors and one communications lead. It is 23.5 feet long with an exterior diameter of 2 inches. It has a tensile strength of 350 pounds, while the tether has a tensile strength of 1,000 pounds. It was connected to the right hand side of the capsule with the other end attached to the "D" ring of the parachute harness.; NASA transferred this to the Museum in 1967.

Materials: Exterior: Gold-coated plastic tape, Plastic, Synthetic Rubber; Next layer: Dupont 702 nylon. Interior: 1/2" nylon tether, Silicone rubber hose (oxygen), four electrical and one communications leads; Tether Clips: Steel, Aluminum, Plastic
Dimensions: 3-D: 840.7 x 1.9cm, 3.7kg (27 ft. 7 in. x 3/4 in., 8 3/16lb.); Overall (Wrapped in bundle): 101.6 × 81.3 × 6.3cm (3 ft. 4 in. × 2 ft. 8 in. × 2 1/2 in.)

National Air and Space Museum

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv94135feb4-3045-4feb-b71a-12524e9bc44b