37 Facts About James McDivitt

James Alton McDivitt was an American test pilot, United States Air Force pilot, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut in the Gemini and Apollo programs.

James McDivitt joined the USAF in 1951 and flew 145 combat missions in the Korean War.

In 1962, James McDivitt was selected as an astronaut by NASA as part of Astronaut Group 2.

James McDivitt commanded the Gemini 4 mission, during which Ed White performed the first US spacewalk, and later the Apollo 9 flight, which was the first crewed flight test of the Apollo lunar module and the complete set of Apollo flight hardware.

James McDivitt later became the manager of lunar landing operations and was the Apollo spacecraft program manager from 1969 to 1972.

James McDivitt was a Boy Scout and earned the rank of Tenderfoot Scout.

James McDivitt grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan and graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School in 1947.

James McDivitt then worked for a year to earn enough money to attend junior college.

James McDivitt completed two years at Jackson Junior College in Jackson, Michigan, from 1948 to 1950.

In January 1951, James McDivitt joined the United States Air Force.

James McDivitt performed well in training, and was the first in his class to make a solo flight.

James McDivitt received his pilot wings and regular commission as a second lieutenant in the USAF in May 1952 at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, and completed combat crew training in November 1952.

James McDivitt flew 145 combat missions in Korea in F-80 Shooting Stars and F-86 Sabres with the 35th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, and earned two Distinguished Flying Crosses.

James McDivitt returned to the United States in September 1953 and served as pilot and assistant operations officer with the 19th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Dow Air Force Base, Maine.

James McDivitt remained there with the Air Force Flight Test Center as an experimental flight test pilot, completed the Air Force Experimental Flight Test Pilot School and Aerospace Research Pilot School, and joined the Manned Spacecraft Operations Branch in July 1962.

James McDivitt was in line to fly the X-15 when White left, and to head the project office for testing the McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, but he heard that NASA was looking to select a second group of astronauts to augment the Mercury Seven, and, after some thought, he decided to apply.

James McDivitt was selected as an astronaut by NASA in September 1962 as part of Astronaut Group 2.

James McDivitt finally broke off the rendezvous attempt in order to save propellant and preserve the second objective, which was for White to perform the first United States EVA.

James McDivitt controlled the capsule's attitude and photographed White during the "walk".

James McDivitt had spent some time before the flight with a McDonnell engineer, improvising a technique of forcing the gears to mesh by inserting the fingers inside the mechanism.

The hatch was difficult to open and to relatch during the flight, but James McDivitt was able to get it working both times, with his hands in his pressurized space suit gloves.

James McDivitt took a few photographs of it, but did not have time to properly set exposure or focus properly.

James McDivitt believes that since it was visible to him, it must have been in an orbit close to that of his spacecraft, probably a piece of ice or multi-layer insulation that had broken off.

James McDivitt found one with a cluster of three or four images that looked like disc-shaped objects with tails, which became known as the "tadpole" photo.

James McDivitt has identified these as reflections of bolts in the multipaned windows.

On March 21,1966, NASA announced that James McDivitt would be the commander of the backup crew of the first crewed Project Apollo mission, known as AS-204.

James McDivitt's crew became the prime crew of a new second mission flying both the CSM and the lunar module.

James McDivitt's crew called their lunar module "Spider" and the command module "Gumdrop".

The next day, Scott undocked, and James McDivitt flew the LM, putting the spacecraft's descent engine through its paces.

James McDivitt was promoted to the rank of brigadier general on February 17,1972.

James McDivitt retired from the USAF and left NASA in June 1972, to take the position of Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs for Consumers Power Company.

James McDivitt was a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, Atlantic Council on Foreign Diplomacy, and Advisory Council-University of Michigan.

James McDivitt was a Knight of Columbus, and represented the Order at the Third World Congress for the Lay Apostolate at the Vatican in 1967.

James McDivitt received honorary doctorate degrees in astronautical science by the University of Michigan in 1965, and honorary Doctor of Science degree from Seton Hall University in 1969, an Honorary Doctor of Science from Miami University in 1970, and an Honorary Doctor of Law degree from Eastern Michigan University in 1975.

James McDivitt was one of ten Gemini astronauts inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 1982.

James McDivitt appeared as himself on The Brady Bunch in a 1974 fifth-season episode about UFOs, "Out of This World", as a guest on a talk show to talk about his UFO experience.

James McDivitt died in his sleep on October 13,2022, in Tucson, Arizona.