A gag picture of Jim McDivitt, Gemini IV commander. McDivitt signed the photo, “I actually take space to heart!”
As an Air Force Pilot, McDivitt flew 145 combat missions during the Korean War; he then ended up being a test pilot. He was selected as an astronaut by NASA in September 1962 as part of the second astronaut class.
McDivitt was understood for his sense of team effort and gutsy leadership, along with his funny bone. In a narrative history interview, McDivitt remembered choosing to wait on the right moment to inform his kids he was chosen to fly on Gemini IV, the mission which included the first US spacewalk, by McDivitts crewmate, Ed While.
Former NASA astronaut Jim McDivitt, who commanded the important Gemini IV and Apollo 9 missions– both vital for NASAs ability to reach the Moon– has died at age 93. His household said he died peacefully in his sleep on October 13, 2022.
Remove All Ads on Universe Today
Join our Patreon for just $3!
Get the ad-free experience for life
” So, one Saturday morning we were sitting at our breakfast table,” McDivitt remembered. “We finally got to this significant minute and I stated, Kids, Im going to tell you something truly crucial. And my son Patrick said, Dad, theres a fly in the milk bottle.”.
While McDivitt feelings of value may have taken a hit that day– thanks to his children– his self-confidence was later obvious when asked why NASA chose him to fly 2 such important space flights.
” Well, I was the best-looking astronaut there was, and so they picked me on appearances there,” McDivitt jested. “Or possibly it was personality!”.
Close-up view of astronauts James A. McDivitt (foreground) and Edward H. White II inside their Gemini-4 spacecraft. Credit: NASA.
When NASA chose McDivitt as commander of the Gemini IV mission in June 1965, he became the first-ever NASA novice to command an objective. Gemini IV was thought about NASAs most enthusiastic flight at the time, with Whites historic spacewalk and the longest U.S. spaceflight at the time, 4 days.
While Whites spacewalk is kept in mind for its historic nature and how White seemed having such a fantastic experience that he didnt wish to come back inside the Gemini spacecraft, McDivitt shared an obscure story of how the spacewalk practically didnt happen due to the fact that the hatch to the capsule would not open at first.
The Gemini-4 crew, astronauts Edward H. White II (left), pilot; and James A. McDivitt, command pilot, listen to the voice of President Lyndon B. Johnson as he praised them by telephone on their successful four-day, 62-revolution Gemini-4 mission. Credit: NASA.
” There was a deal with and a bunch of little equipments with teeth on them,” McDivitt recalled, “and the teeth had to engage some of the other little equipments. I said, Oh my God, its not opening!”.
McDivitt stated he and White decided not to inform Mission Control about it. They wouldve said, No, Im sure. Anyhow, we went ahead and opened it up; and Ed went out and did his thing.
McDivitt and White had a long history, as they both participated in the University of Michigan, were both in the Air Force, and had gone through the astronaut selection together. When White died unfortunately in the Apollo 1 fire, McDivitt stated that Ed White “was the very best buddy I ever had.”.
While the Gemini missions frequently get neglected in the run-up to the Apollo objectives, McDivitt stressed their significance.
” I think if it had not been for Gemini, flying Apollo wouldve been nigh on to impossible,” he said. “Apollo couldve been a 30-flight program with a lot of mishaps if we began going to the Moon really early, if we didnt have the coordination of skills and the reliability … in the ground or the space-borne part of it. It was extremely essential.”.
Four years later, in March of 1969, McDivitt commanded Apollo 9, which likewise in some cases gets neglected as being a rather mundane flight. But it was a 10-day test flight in Earth orbit of the new lunar module, a “shakeout” initially flight of the complete set of Apollo hardware that ultimately paved the way for NASA to successfully land humans on the Moon four months later in July 1969.
The team of Apollo 9: Commander James McDivitt, Command Module Pilot Dave Scott and Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart. Credit: NASA.
For Apollo 9, McDivitt was joined by Command Module Pilot David Scott and Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart. The crew invested 10 days in low Earth orbit, with the leading concern of testing the LM and performing multiple dockings with the 2 spacecraft, the LM and Command Modules, mimicing the maneuvers that would be performed throughout subsequent missions at the Moon. At one point, McDivitt and Schweickart flew the Lunar Module 160 kilometers (100 miles) away from the Command Module. The crew likewise set up the lunar module to support a spacewalk by McDivitt and Schweickart, the first EVA of the Apollo program.
Early on, the objective was in jeopardy. Schweickarts bout with space illness in the first days of the flight triggered NASA to think about bringing the team home early and cancelling the remainder of the objective.
Apollo 9 leader Jim McDivitt during the March 1969 Apollo 9 objective. The picture was taken in lunar module “Spider”. Credit: NASA.
” That would mean we may not be able to test the rendezvous and docking, meaning we may not have the ability to make JFKs commitment for the US to land on the Moon by the end of the years,” Schweickart informed me back in 2018.
Schweickart credits the excellent relationship between McDivitt and himself, where the crewmates had total sense of trust with each other, where each of them understood innately the spacewalk was going to work, with Schweickart up to the job.
” To this day, I provide Jim credit for having the unbelievable courage to have actually looked at me, to trust me, to have the relationship between us where he had confidence in his judgement and mine to make that important of a decision,” Schweickart stated.
And ultimately, all went well and the mission was thought about a big success. Prior to completion of Apollo 9, McDivitt called down to thank the Mission Control team for all their great work, applauding the efficiency of the spacecraft and the group. “Might offer you the impression that it might work, huh?” McDivitt joked.
Of his crewmates, McDivitt said, “We were great buddies, and our lives depended on each other.”.
The Apollo 9 aboard the healing ship USS Guadalcanal on March 13, 1969. From left: Rusty Schweickart (lunar module pilot), Dave Scott (command module pilot) and Jim McDivitt (leader). Credit: NASA.
After Apollo 9, McDivitt chose to trade the challenging job of flying the Apollo objectives to the similarly challenging task of monitoring them, and became supervisor of the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office in Houston. As part of that role, it was normally his choice whether to continue objectives after an emergency situation. For example, McDivitt made the suggestion to leave earth orbit after the lightning strike during Apollo 12s launch; he was involved on several choices throughout Apollo 13 and made recommendations to continue Apollo 16 after two significant issues with the propulsion system on the Command and Service Module.
” I believe it was quite fortuitous that I had a possibility to fly on Apollo 9,” McDivitt said later on, “because the important things I did on 9, which was truly an engineering test flight, that stuff entered into play a lot more for me as the Program Manager when we were facing problems. When I had to make decisions on those later Apollo objectives, it made me more confident that the choice I was making to go forward was truly right.”.
McDivitt got many awards throughout his career, consisting of two NASA Distinguished Service Medals and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal. For his service in the U.S. Air Force, he also was granted two Air Force Distinguished Service Medals, 4 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 5 Air Medals, and U.S. Air Force Astronaut Wings. McDivitt also received the Chong Moo Medal from South Korea, the U.S. Air Force Systems Command Aerospace Primus Award, the Arnold Air Society JFK Trophy, the Sword of Loyola, and the Michigan Wolverine Frontiersman Award.
McDivitts passing leaves the Apollo 8 team as the last Apollo crew with all team members still living.
Like this: Like Loading …
For Apollo 9, McDivitt was signed up with by Command Module Pilot David Scott and Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart. Apollo 9 leader Jim McDivitt throughout the March 1969 Apollo 9 mission. Just prior to the end of Apollo 9, McDivitt called down to thank the Mission Control team for all their fantastic work, applauding the performance of the spacecraft and the group. After Apollo 9, McDivitt decided to trade the difficult task of flying the Apollo objectives to the similarly challenging task of monitoring them, and became manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office in Houston. McDivitt made the suggestion to leave earth orbit after the lightning strike throughout Apollo 12s launch; he was included on multiple decisions during Apollo 13 and made suggestions to continue Apollo 16 after two significant issues with the propulsion system on the Command and Service Module.