UFO in Orbit

During the Gemini 4 mission on June 4, 1965, astronaut James McDivitt observed and photographed an unidentified object while orbiting Earth. NASA has never provided a satisfactory explanation for what he encountered.

The Astronaut

James McDivitt:

• Mission commander
• Gemini 4
• Ed White was co-pilot
• First American spacewalk mission
• Experienced pilot

The Sighting

What he saw:

• Cylindrical object
• White/silver
• With protrusion
• Near the spacecraft
• Clear observation

The Photography

McDivitt grabbed camera:

• Took photographs
• Through window
• Before it departed
• Attempted documentation
• Valuable attempt

NASA Response

Official position:

• Photos unclear
• Possibly Pegasus satellite
• Or other debris
• No definitive ID
• Mystery remains

McDivitt’s View

The astronaut:

• Disagreed with NASA
• Knew what he saw
• Not satellite
• Something unusual
• Stood by account

The Pegasus Theory

NASA suggested:

• Pegasus satellite
• In similar orbit
• But McDivitt disagreed
• Wrong appearance
• Wrong behavior

Ed White

Co-pilot:

• Did not see object
• Was sleeping
• Only McDivitt witnessed
• Single observer
• Credible nonetheless

Later Missions

Other astronauts:

• Have reported UFOs
• Various missions
• Official silence
• Pattern exists
• Ongoing mystery

Significance

First widely reported UFO sighting by an American astronaut during spaceflight, never satisfactorily explained.

Legacy

The Gemini 4 sighting opened discussion about what astronauts might encounter in space and set precedent for future astronaut UFO reports.