In the 1960s, the United States and the Soviet Union were in a fierce rivalry called the Space Race. Both countries wanted to prove they were the best at exploring space. In March 1965, a Soviet cosmonaut named Alexei Leonov became the first person to walk in space. America needed to catch up fast. On June 3, 1965, astronaut Ed White got his chance. He opened the hatch of his Gemini 4 capsule and floated into the darkness above the Pacific Ocean. White used a small gas gun to push himself around. He tumbled and spun while connected to the spacecraft by a golden cord. For 23 minutes, he drifted above the Earth. He could see entire continents and oceans below him. When mission control told White to come back inside, he did not want to. He called it the saddest moment of his life. White's achievement proved that Americans could work outside a spacecraft. This skill would be needed to reach the Moon.