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Omega Speedmaster is a line of chronograph wristwatches produced by Omega SA . While chronographs have existed since the late 1800s, Omega first introduced this line of chronographs in 1957. Since then, many different chronograph movements have been marketed under the Speedmaster name. Astronaut Walter Schirra was the first person to wear one in space in 1962 during his Mercury-Atlas 8 mission. The manual winding Speedmaster Professional or "Moonwatch" is the best-known and longest-produced; it was worn during the first American spacewalk as part of NASA 's Gemini 4 mission, and was the first watch worn by an astronaut walking on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. The Speedmaster Professional remains one of several watches qualified by NASA for spaceflight, and is still the only one so qualified for EVA . The Speedmaster line also includes other models, including analog - digital and automatic mechanical watches.

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78-503: The Speedmaster was not originally designed for space exploration. Instead, it was introduced in 1957 as a sport and racing chronograph following on from the early chronographs of the 1920s and 1930s, including the Omega 28.9 chronograph , which was Omega's first small wrist chronograph, complementing Omega's position as the official timekeeper for the Olympic Games . The first Speedmaster model,

156-571: A Bachelor of Science degree from West Point, ranked 128th out of 523 in the Class of 1952, White was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Air Force. Under a 1949 agreement, up to 25   percent of the graduating classes of West Point and the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis could volunteer for the Air Force. Between 1950, when the agreement became effective, and 1959, when

234-462: A United States Congressman was required, and the family had not been continuously resident in any one place for very long. White went down to the Capitol and knocked on Congressmen's doors seeking an appointment, armed with a glowing reference from his high school principal. He eventually secured one from Congressman Ross Rizley from Oklahoma . White entered West Point on July 15, 1948. He acquired

312-720: A 1969 presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the Apollo 11 crew. President Clinton presented the White and Chaffee families with the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1997 (Grissom's family received the medal in 1978). White, along with nine other Gemini astronauts, was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1982. He was inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1993 and

390-455: A West Point football game. They had two children, Edward Higgins White III (born in 1953) and Bonnie Lynn White (born in 1956). White was assigned to the 22nd Fighter Squadron at Bitburg Air Base in West Germany , where he spent three and a half years flying North American F-86 Sabre and North American F-100 Super Sabre fighters. Among his colleagues were Buzz Aldrin , who graduated

468-567: A base movement of the Omega 3220, a Dubois Depraz chronograph module is mounted on top. The Speedmaster has also seen iterations within motor racing, in particular the Automatic 'Racing' models. Originally this differ from the Professional models having a slightly smaller 38mm and 40mm cases and an automatic movement, as opposed to the professionals 42mm case and manual wound movement. Michael Schumacher

546-488: A caliber 861-based movement has been continuously produced since. The tritium -powered phosphorescent lume on the hands and index markers of the original watches were replaced at the end of the 1990s with non-radioactive pigments, but the fundamental design, dimensions, and mechanism of these watches have remained unchanged. In this form, the basic Speedmaster line has remained flight-qualified for NASA space missions and EVAs, after re-evaluation by NASA in 1972 and for use in

624-477: A designated workshop. Most recently, in January 2021, Omega announced it would update the standard-production Speedmaster Professional with a new movement and a subtle design refresh, including a step dial and dot-over-90 bezel. Calibre 1861 has been officially discontinued, replaced with calibre 3861, featuring a co-axial escapement and Master Chronometer certification. Omega Speedmaster Automatic (informally known as

702-404: A gold Omega Speedmaster ref. BA 145.022 as gift. These were the first ever gold Omega Speedmasters, and only 1,014 of these Omega Speedmasters were ever made. Nixon's was engraved: “RICHARD M. NIXON”, “to mark man’s conquest of space with time, through time, on time”, and “PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES”. He famously refused the gift citing its high value. In 1970, after Apollo 13 was crippled by

780-500: A gold cross, a St. Christopher Medal and a Star of David . White commented: "I felt while I couldn't take one for every religion in the country, I could take the items most familiar to me." On June 3, 1965, the Gemini 4 crew was launched into space to begin its four-day mission. After separation from the Titan II upper stage, McDivitt attempted to rendezvous with the booster. However, this

858-492: A pocket watch and was disqualified from consideration, leaving three contenders: Rolex , Longines - Wittnauer , and Omega. These watches were all subjected to tests under extreme conditions: All chronographs tested were mechanical hand-wound models. Neither the first automatic chronograph nor the first quartz watch would be available until 1969, well after the space program was underway. The evaluation concluded in March 1965 with

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936-535: A removable anodized aluminum housing to shield the watch from a wider range of temperatures. In 1971 and 1973, Omega turned to automatic mechanisms on the Speedmaster Automatic MkIII and MkIV models alongside Speedsonic Electronic Chronometer Chronograph (marketing as a Speedmaster) other non-Speedmaster Chronographs such as the Omega Bullhead . However, none of these proved as popular or long-lasting as

1014-528: A watch guy, I decided to strap the Speedmaster onto my right wrist around the outside of my bulky spacesuit. Aldrin's Speedmaster was lost during shipping when he sent it to the Smithsonian Institution , its reference number being ST105.012, although it is sometimes erroneously reported as a 145.012. To commemorate the success of the Apollo 11 mission, then-president Richard Nixon was presented with

1092-582: A year ahead of him at West Point, and James Salter . In 1957, White read an article about the astronauts of the future, and decided to become one. He believed that getting an advanced degree would improve his chances of being selected. Aldrin later recalled that White convinced him to follow this path as well. In September 1958, White enrolled in the University of Michigan under Air Force sponsorship to study aeronautical engineering . His classmates included James McDivitt , Jim Irwin and Ted Freeman . White

1170-476: A younger brother, James Blair White (1942–1969), and an older sister, Jeanne. His interest in aviation was sparked at the age of twelve when his father took him for a ride in a North American T-6 Texan trainer. He became a member of the Boy Scouts of America , where he earned the rank of Second Class Scout . Due to the nature of his father's job, White's family moved often to different military bases across

1248-456: Is also evidence that Rolex GMTs were used as personal backup watches on the Apollo 13 & 14 missions. In addition to issued crew watches, Apollo 17 carried an additional Speedmaster to lunar orbit as part of the heat flow and convection experiment conducted by Command Module Pilot Ronald Evans . This watch was sold for $ 23,000 at a Heritage auction in 2009. In 1968, American insurance salesman Ralph Plaisted and three companions were

1326-603: The Fairchild C-123 Provider , Convair C-131 Samaritan , Boeing C-135 Stratolifter , the North American F-100 Super Sabre, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger and Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star . As a weightlessness- and extended-flight-training captain, he piloted the planes that were used to train astronauts in weightlessness. His passengers included John Glenn , the first American to orbit the Earth, and Ham ,

1404-497: The Gemini and Apollo missions. He was assigned as pilot of Gemini 4 alongside command pilot James McDivitt . On June 3, 1965, White became the first American to walk in space . He was then assigned as senior pilot of the first crewed Apollo mission, Apollo 1. White died on January 27, 1967, alongside astronauts Virgil "Gus" Grissom and Roger B. Chaffee in a fire during pre-launch testing for Apollo 1 at Cape Canaveral , Florida . He

1482-480: The National Aviation Hall of Fame on July 18, 2009. Many schools have been named in honor of White: The Omega Speedmaster wristwatch reference 105.003 has come to be known as the "Ed White" as this reference was worn by White during his spacewalk. The Speedmaster remains the only watch qualified by NASA for EVA use. White was played by Steven Ruge in the 1995 film Apollo 13 , by Chris Isaak in

1560-519: The University of Michigan to study aeronautical engineering , receiving his Master of Science degree in 1959. White then received test pilot training at Edwards Air Force Base , California , before being assigned as a test pilot for the Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base , Ohio . White was selected as one of the second group of astronauts , the so-called "Next Nine", who were chosen to take part in

1638-573: The lunar module as a backup, because the LM's electronic timer had malfunctioned. Buzz Aldrin elected to wear his, and so his Speedmaster became the first watch to be worn on the Moon. Later, he wrote of his decision: It was optional to wear while we were walking on the surface of the Moon ... few things are less necessary when walking around on the Moon than knowing what time it is in Houston, Texas. Nonetheless, being

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1716-416: The "Moon watch". The watches used for Apollo 11's mission were the 1967 "pre-Moon" 321 versions. Chronographs were first developed for use in artillery for battle, but soon came to be indispensable for use in high performance machinery, specifically by pilots, but later also by race car drivers. Submariners, who also relied heavily on split second timing for what was essentially blind travel, were known for

1794-691: The 1965 General Thomas D. White National Defense Award for his spacewalk. It is a trophy given by the National Geographic Society to outstanding air force personnel. He was inducted into the Aerospace Primus Club (the "most exclusive club on Earth") for his EVA. He was awarded the AIAA Haley Astronautics Award for 1967. The Apollo 1 crew was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal posthumously in

1872-540: The 321, but replaced its column wheel switching mechanism with a cam and increased the beat rate from 18,000 to 21,600 vibrations per hour. Most Speedmaster Professional watches from 1968 to the present have used variants of this movement, including the modern rhodium-plated caliber 1861 and decorated exhibition calibers 863 and 1863. A standard Speedmaster Professional model with Plexiglas crystal, solid caseback with anti-vibration and anti-magnetic dust cover, tachymeter scale, without date or day complications, and powered by

1950-659: The Aerospace Medical Center at Brooks AFB on July 30, 1962. He ran around the perimeter of Brooks every day during the testing to keep in shape. White was one of nine men chosen by NASA as part of Astronaut Group 2 in September 1962. Their selection was announced at a press conference in Cullen Auditorium at the University of Houston on September 17, 1962. Like their predecessors, the Mercury Seven , each of

2028-684: The Air Force Academy and became a fighter pilot. He set his sights on becoming a test pilot and then an astronaut. He thought that air combat experience would facilitate this, so he volunteered for service in the Vietnam War . While flying a combat mission on November 24, 1969, with 357th Tactical Fighter Squadron , he was killed when his aircraft crashed. Nearly half a century later his remains were identified, and they were buried adjacent to White's in West Point Cemetery on June 19, 2018. White

2106-537: The EVA was postponed from the second revolution to the third revolution. At 19:46 UTC, White became the first American to make an EVA. During his spacewalk, White used an oxygen-propelled gun called the Hand-Held Maneuvering Unit to propel himself. White found the experience so exhilarating that he was reluctant to terminate the EVA at the allotted time, and had to be ordered back into the spacecraft. While White

2184-467: The Gemini and Apollo Programs. James Ragan, a former NASA engineer responsible for Apollo flight hardware testing, contradicted this story, calling it a "complete invention". Instead, bids were officially solicited of several brands already familiar to the pilots who were joining the growing astronaut corps. Brands under official consideration included Breitling , Rolex , and Omega, as well as others that produced mechanical chronographs. Hamilton submitted

2262-576: The Space Shuttle program in 1978. The current such model is reference 311.30.42.30.01.005 (since 2014). Omega has produced a large number of commemorative and limited edition variants of the basic "Moon watch" design, celebrating important anniversaries and events, emblazoned with the different patches for the space missions it was issued for, or evoking its motor sport roots with various racing patterns. It has also released many models made with various precious metals, jewels, and alternative dial colors for

2340-634: The Speedmaster Reduced) is a line of chronograph wristwatches based on the Omega Speedmaster and produced by Omega SA . The Speedmaster Reduced was first introduced in 1988 as a smaller, cheaper version of the Omega Speedmaster. With a case that measures 39mm in diameter it is smaller than its big brother the Speedmaster Professional which has a case size of 42mm. The Speedmaster Reduced went out of production in 2009. Starting with

2418-411: The Speedmaster's official qualification for space flight, astronaut Wally Schirra took his personal CK 2998 aboard Mercury-Atlas 8 (Sigma 7) on October 3, 1962. That same year, according to an apocryphal anecdote repeated by Omega press materials and trade publications, a number of commercial chronograph wristwatches were furtively purchased from Corrigan's, a Houston jeweler, to evaluate their use for

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2496-457: The alpha hands and then less than one year later ST 105.003 with straight baton hands and ST 105.012, the first Speedmaster with the "Professional" appellation on the dial, with an asymmetrical case to protect the chronograph pushers and crown. All of the early Speedmasters used the same Calibre 321 movement, which was only replaced in 1968/1969 with the introduction of the Calibre 861 movement, used in

2574-708: The astronauts' flight suits, and a hatch which could not be quickly opened in an emergency. After the incident, these problems were fixed, and the Apollo program carried on successfully to reach its objective of landing men on the Moon. White was buried with full military honors at West Point Cemetery while Grissom and Chaffee are both buried in Arlington National Cemetery . NASA officials attempted to pressure Patricia White, his widow, into allowing her husband also to be buried at Arlington, against what she knew to be his wishes; their efforts were foiled by astronaut Frank Borman . Patricia received $ 100,000 from

2652-527: The basic Speedmaster Professional "Moon watch". A variety of other types of watches have used the Speedmaster brand, including many different automatic day and day-date models, the tuning fork movement Speedsonic line, and the digital LCD Speedmaster Quartz (the Speedsonic and LCD Speedmaster where also prototyped in ten examples each under the Alaska project but not taken up by NASA). The digital-analog Speedmaster X-33

2730-427: The calibre 27 CHRO and later the calibre 321 and then 861. The calibre 321 and 861 are undoubtedly Omega's most famous chronograph watches and have been incorporated into a range of wrist chronographs including being the only watch certified for EVA use by NASA and still issued to this day to their astronauts. Despite the significance of the calibre 28.9 wrist chronograph it was produced in relatively small numbers over

2808-486: The calibre 33.3 (Lemania 15CH) to the calibre 321 (Lemania 2310), fitted to the famous Omega ‘moon watch’ used even today by NASA . Numerous manufacturers utilized the calibre 13CH movement, including Tissot. The movement was most successfully adopted by Omega who under calibre 28.9 manufactured three variants, T1, T2 and T3 in numerous configurations in both stainless steel and precious metals, most notably 18ct solid gold. Stainless steel examples of this watch were used by

2886-460: The commanders and pilots of the Italo Balbo air force who used them on trans-Atlantic crossings. Other famous owners included Amelia Earhart who was wearing a calibre 28.9 T1 enamel dial when she disappeared during a transpacific crossing. The watch was produced with a number of variations of chronograph dial, some in enamel and some in painted brass, including some very rare prototypes such as

2964-403: The country throughout his childhood. The White family moved from San Antonio, Texas to Dayton, Ohio , where he attended Oakwood Junior High School, and to Washington, D.C. , where he attended Western High School . After graduating in 1948, he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and attend West Point, but his family's peripatetic life presented a problem: an appointment to West Point from

3042-413: The early crewed Apollo program, and reached the Moon with Apollo 11 . Ironically, these and prior models are informally known as "pre-Moon" Speedmasters, since their manufacture predate the Moon landings and lack the inscription subsequent models carry: "The First Watch Worn on the Moon". Although Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong was first to set foot on the Moon, he left his 105.012 Speedmaster inside

3120-608: The eleven-year period. Technological developments and the introduction of the larger calibre 33.3 movement, which was larger and more reliable, resulted in the demise of the calibre 28.9. Nonetheless it marked the first production wrist chronograph manufactured by Omega and paved the way for the company to become one of the most successful manufacturers of chronographs watches in the world. Calibre 28.9 chronographs are now extremely rare and as such highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts. Ed White (astronaut) Edward Higgins White II (November 14, 1930 – January 27, 1967)

3198-468: The final lunar surface EVA, he wore a Bulova Chronograph (model number 88510/01 with velcro-strap part number SEB12100030-202) that was not part of the normal mission equipment and that he had agreed to evaluate for the company at the request of a friend. Because of the commercial interests involved and the revelation of the Apollo 15 postage stamp incident , NASA withheld Bulova's name for years afterward. There

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3276-572: The first class graduated from the United States Air Force Academy , about 3,200 West Point cadets and Annapolis midshipmen chose to do so. White received his initial pilot training at Bartow Air Base , Florida , and his jet training at James Connally Air Force Base , Texas . After receiving his pilot wings in 1953, White was assigned to Luke Air Force Base , Arizona , for Fighter Gunnery School. In February 1953, White married Patricia Eileen Finegan (1934–1983), whom he had met at

3354-466: The first confirmed expedition to reach the North Pole on snowmobiles . The team successfully used the same reference 145.012 Omega Speedmasters as the Apollo program along with sextants for navigation. Also in 1968, Omega transitioned the caliber 321 movement to the new caliber 861, also designed by Albert Piguet, with the introduction of the reference 145.022 Speedmaster. The 861 was very similar to

3432-516: The first hominid in space. During his career, White would log more than 3,000 flight hours with the Air Force, including about 2,200 hours in jets . White was one of eleven pilots whose names the Air Force submitted to NASA in 1962 as potential candidates for the second group of astronauts . He was then selected as one of 32 finalists who would undergo medical and psychological examinations at Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio. White arrived at

3510-522: The hatch was impossible because the plug door design required venting normally slightly greater-than-atmospheric pressure and pulling the cover into the cabin. Grissom was unable to reach the cabin vent control to his left, where the fire's source was located. The intense heat raised the cabin pressure even more, to 29 pounds per square inch (200 kPa), at which point the cabin walls ruptured. The astronauts were killed by asphyxiation , smoke inhalation , and thermal burns . The fire's ignition source

3588-518: The inserted drivers chronograph dating from circa 1937. The watches were small by modern standards and reliability issues resulted in Omega introducing watches based on the Lemania calibre 15CH (Omega 33.3) in 1933 at which point the 28.9 was slowly phased out of the range and had been discontinued by 1943. The Omega 28.9 chronograph paved the way for the introduction of the calibre 33.3 a more accurate and larger wrist chronograph, this in turn evolved into

3666-400: The last Gemini mission, but the impracticality of making the Gemini capsule and systems compatible with Apollo and delays in the spacecraft development pushed the launch into 1967. The launch of Apollo 1 was planned for February 21, 1967. The crew entered the spacecraft at 13:00 on January 27, mounted atop its Saturn IB booster on Launch Pad 34 at Cape Kennedy , for a "plugs-out" test of

3744-508: The life insurance portion of the contract the astronauts signed to give two publishing firms exclusive rights to the stories and photographs of the astronauts and their families. She also received $ 16,250 annually for the life of the contract. Patricia later remarried and continued to reside in Houston. On September 6, 1983, she took her own life after surgery earlier in the year to remove a tumor. White's younger brother James resolved to follow in his older brother's footsteps. He graduated from

3822-545: The luxury market. Over the years, Omega has also sought to improve functional aspects of the basic Speedmaster Professional. In 1969, it produced the Speedmaster Professional Mk II, with shrouded lugs and a flat, anti-reflective mineral glass crystal. In 1970, Omega launched the Alaska Project under Pierre Chopard, which changed the dial of the original Speedmaster Professional from black to white and created

3900-481: The mechanism. This added to the time constraint of the spacewalk and could have threatened the lives of both men if McDivitt had been unable to get the hatch latched, as they could not re-enter the atmosphere with an unsealed hatch. I'm coming back in... and it's the saddest moment of my life. When they returned to Earth, the two astronauts found that they were now celebrities. President Lyndon B. Johnson came to Houston to congratulate them, and he promoted them to

3978-507: The mission that one of the crew might open the hatch and stick his head outside, but this attracted little attention. On March 18, 1965, cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first man to perform an EVA, on the Voskhod 2 mission, but not until May 25 was EVA approved for Gemini 4 by NASA administrator James E. Webb . White was a devout Methodist . On the Gemini 4 mission he carried three pieces of religious jewelry to take with him on his EVA:

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4056-599: The new astronauts was assigned an area of specialization within the crewed space program: in White's case, flight control systems. White was selected to be the pilot of Gemini 4, with McDivitt as his command pilot. The Chief of the Astronaut Office , Mercury Seven astronaut Deke Slayton , paired them because they knew each other well, having attended the University of Michigan and test pilot school together. The mission objectives were ill-defined at first, but consideration

4134-516: The nickname "Red" from the color of his hair. While at West Point, White competed for a spot on the 1952 U.S. Olympic team in the 400 meter hurdles race, but missed qualification in the heat by 0.4 seconds. White was also a half-back on the West Point soccer team. His hobbies included squash , handball , swimming , golf , and photography . His classmates included Michael Collins , who later became an astronaut as well. Upon graduation with

4212-416: The popular connection between the Speedmaster and space exploration. Speedmasters were issued to all subsequent Gemini crews until the end of the program in 1966. In 1966, Speedmaster reference 105.012 was updated to reference 145.012. These two models would be the two Speedmaster references known to have been worn on the Moon by Apollo astronauts, the original "Moon watches." Speedmasters were used throughout

4290-410: The pure oxygen-filled cabin, killing all three crewmen. Emergency roles had called for White to actuate the inner hatch release handle; then, Grissom would assist him in the removal of the cover, while Chaffee would maintain communications. White had apparently tried to do his part: his body was found in his center seat, with his arms reaching over his head toward the hatch. Removing the cover to open

4368-615: The rank of lieutenant colonel . Later that week they traveled to the White House where Johnson presented them the NASA Exceptional Service Medal . They were given a ticker tape parade in Chicago, and went to the 1965 Paris Air Show , where they met cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin . White's next assignment after Gemini 4 was as the backup for Gemini 7 command pilot Frank Borman , with Michael Collins assigned as his pilot. He

4446-516: The reference CK 2915, was powered by the Omega Calibre 321 movement. This movement was developed in 1946 by Albert Piguet of Lemania , which had been acquired in 1932 by Omega's parent company, Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère , (SSIH). The "Speedmaster" name was coined from the model's novel tachymeter scale bezel (in brushed stainless steel ) and by the convention set by prior Omega brands Seamaster and Railmaster. The model established

4524-606: The rupture of a service module oxygen tank, Jack Swigert 's Speedmaster was used to time the critical 14-second burn using the lunar module's descent propulsion system , which allowed for the crew's safe return. In recognition of this, Omega was awarded the Snoopy Award by the Apollo 13 astronauts for "dedication, professionalism, and outstanding contributions in support of the first United States Manned Lunar Landing Project." In 1971, Apollo 15 commander Dave Scott 's Speedmaster lost its Plexiglas crystal during EVA-2. For EVA-3,

4602-437: The selection of the Speedmaster, which survived the tests while remaining largely within 5 seconds per day rate. Gus Grissom and John Young wore the first officially qualified Speedmasters on Gemini 3 on 23 March 1965. In June of that year, Ed White made the first American space walk during Gemini 4 with a Speedmaster 105.003 strapped to the outside of the left-side sleeve of his G4C space suit . In order to accommodate

4680-453: The series's hallmark 12-hour, triple-register chronograph layout, domed Plexiglas crystal (named Hésalite), and simple, high-contrast index markers; but, unlike most subsequent Speedmaster models, it used Omega's broad arrow hand set. In 1959, a second version, CK 2998, was released with a black aluminum base 1000 bezel and later in 2998-2, tachymeter 500 bezel and alpha hands. This was again updated in 1963 by references ST 105.002, which kept

4758-612: The space suit, the watch was attached via a long nylon strap secured with Velcro . When worn on the wrist, the strap could be wound around several times to shorten its length. According to Omega, the company was surprised to learn of the Speedmaster’s role upon seeing a photograph of the EVA; however, ordering forms sent by NASA's Gemini 4 Flight Support Procurement Office to Omega's American agents in 1964 suggest that this anecdote may be exaggerated. These images would be widely used in Omega marketing materials from 1965 to 1967, establishing

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4836-403: The spacecraft. The test was to demonstrate all of the space vehicle systems and procedures, which included an abbreviated countdown and flight simulation. It was not classified as hazardous since the rocket would not be fueled during the test. The test's progress was delayed by problems with a cabin odor and poor communications between the ground stations and the crew. At 18:31, a fire broke out in

4914-410: The use of chronographs. The ability to time, and therefore calibrate, fuel consumption, trajectory and other variables allowed for both more efficient travel as well as better pilots and race car drivers. When President Eisenhower decreed that test pilots would be the only permissible option for Project Mercury , the inclusion of a chronograph of some sort was virtually assured. Three years before

4992-456: Was T.E. Lawrence otherwise known as Laurence of Arabia. The calibre 28.9 was designed primarily as small wrist chronograph to be worn for sports or by professionals and was marketed primarily at sportsmen and pilots. The watch was introduced in production form in 1932 and was produced in very small numbers up until circa 1943. This watch marked the introduction of the Omega wrist chronograph in production form, which would later evolve through

5070-546: Was a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots ; associate member of Institute of Aerospace Sciences ; Tau Beta Pi (Engineering Honorary); and Sigma Delta Psi (Athletic Honorary). White and McDivitt were presented honorary doctorate degrees in astronautical science by the University of Michigan after their Gemini 4 flight. The duo were also awarded the Arnold Air Society 's John F. Kennedy Trophy. White received

5148-425: Was acquired by the same mother company as Omega, SSIH , in 1932. Watches based on this movement paved the way for Omega to become one of the most successful manufacturers of Swiss made wrist chronographs. The calibre 28.9 was introduced as Omega SA watches' first production wrist chronograph in 1932 featuring 17 rubies, Breguet balance and continuous minute hand. Lemania produced the movements for Omega and it

5226-457: Was also named the astronaut specialist for the flight control systems of the Apollo command module . Under the usual procedure of crew rotation in the Gemini program, White would have been in line for a second flight as the command pilot of Gemini 10 in July 1966, which would have made him the first of his group to fly twice. Instead, he was selected for the Apollo 1 spaceflight. In March 1966, White

5304-517: Was an American aeronautical engineer , United States Air Force officer , test pilot , and NASA astronaut . He was a member of the crews of Gemini 4 and Apollo 1 . After graduating from West Point in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science degree, White was sent to flight training, and assigned to the 22nd Fighter Day Squadron at Bitburg Air Base , West Germany , where he flew the F-86 Sabre and F-100 Super Sabre fighters. In 1958, he enrolled in

5382-583: Was awarded his Master of Science degree in 1959. After it became clear that being a test pilot would also improve his chances of being selected to become an astronaut, White attended the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base , California , with class 59-C, which graduated in July 1959. McDivitt was one of his classmates. White was assigned to the Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base , Ohio . There, he did flight tests for weapons development, and helped make recommendations for aircraft design on aircraft such as

5460-594: Was awarded the NASA Distinguished Service Medal for his flight in Gemini 4 and was then awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor posthumously. Edward Higgins White II was born on November 14, 1930, in San Antonio, Texas , the son of Edward Higgins White Sr. (1901–1978), a West Point graduate (Class of 1924) who later rose to become a major general in the United States Air Force (USAF), and Mary Rosina White ( née  Haller ; 1900–1983). He had

5538-401: Was determined to be a spark that jumped from a wire on the far left of the spacecraft, under Grissom's seat. Their deaths were attributed to a wide range of lethal hazards in the early Apollo Command Module design: workmanship and conditions of the test, including the highly pressurized 100% oxygen pre-launch atmosphere, many wiring and plumbing flaws, flammable materials used in the cockpit and

5616-417: Was given to performing extravehicular activity (EVA), space rendezvous and orbital station-keeping . Knowing that EVA (or spacewalk) was a possibility, McDivitt pressed for it to be included in the mission. As a result, NASA management agreed to ensure that the Gemini space suit for the mission was capable of being used for EVA. Kenneth S. Kleinknecht told the July 1964 press conference that announced

5694-456: Was made in very small numbers for a little over ten years. Lemania produced three types of the calibre CH13/28.9 movement: T1, which utilized a single pusher, and T2 and T3, which utilized two pushers. The movement was manual wind. The movement was developed following the success of the Omega calibre 18’’’ wrist watch, which was a development of the Calibre 19”’ pocket chronographs. The most famous owner of an Omega calibre 18” wrist chronograph

5772-456: Was one of the brand's key representatives during the early 2000s and had his own dedicated line of the 38mm Racing models. The current line of Speedmaster Racing models have been increased to a larger 44.25-mm case utilizing the automatic Omega 9900 Calibre. Omega 28.9 chronograph The Omega 28.9 Chronograph was Omega's first small wrist chronograph. Introduced in 1932 as the Lemania caliber CH13, production continued until 1943. Lemania

5850-421: Was outside, a spare thermal glove floated away through the open hatch of the spacecraft, becoming an early piece of space debris in low Earth orbit , until it burned up upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere . There was a mechanical problem with the hatch mechanism, which made it difficult to open and to relatch. McDivitt was able to get the door locked by using his glove to push on the gears that controlled

5928-462: Was produced in 1998; it was qualified for space missions by NASA and flown on the Mir space station and Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-90 later that year. In September 2019, Omega introduced a reissue of the calibre 321. The new calibre 321 was designed to replicate the same mechanism and design as the original 321. The new calibre was manufactured with modern metals and computer-aided manufacturing in

6006-548: Was selected as senior pilot (second seat) for the first crewed Apollo flight, designated AS-204. His fellow astronauts would be Command Pilot Virgil "Gus" Grissom , who had flown in space on the Mercury-Redstone 4 mission in 1961 and as commander of the Gemini 3 in 1965, and Pilot Roger Chaffee , who had yet to fly into space. The mission, which the men named Apollo 1 in June, was originally planned for late 1966 to coincide with

6084-446: Was unsuccessful since the astronauts were not adequately trained to rendezvous in orbit. The objective had to be abandoned since the allocated propellant had been used up, and the maneuvers had pushed the spacecraft's orbit too far away from Earth. The mission also included 11 different scientific experiments, including the use of a sextant for celestial navigation. After the failed rendezvous attempt, White appeared tired and hot, so

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