article_snippet.sent: One, Ed White, was tasked with performing the first US spacewalk, less than three months after Soviet Alexey Leonov had completed the first spacewalk in history.
article_snippet.sent: All were essential skills to land on the moon and return safely to Earth.
article_snippet.sent: Edward White, pictured, became the first US astronaut to perform a spacewalk on 3 June 1965.
article_snippet.sent: As it was the first spacewalk, there were a number of complications.
article_snippet.sent: Ed White used a small jet propulsion unit to move around in space .
article_snippet.sent: The spacewalk checklist for the Gemini 4 mission of 1965 belonged to McDivitt who gave The spacewalk checklist for the Gemini 4 mission of 1965 to a friend after signing The spacewalk checklist for the Gemini 4 mission of 1965 many years ago.
article_snippet.sent: Cassandra Hatton, of auctioneers Bonhams which is selling the item, said: 'the historic mission was the first time [an American] walked in space and the historic mission was a huge step in the development of the space programme.
article_snippet.sent: We knew We could get into space but until this point We didn't know if We could walk and float around out there.
article_snippet.sent: McDivitt who gave it to a friend after signing it many years ago and Ed White's achievement is second only to landing on the moon. '