On November 12, 1966, American astronaut Buzz Aldrin took what is widely regarded as the first space selfie, decades before the term became part of everyday vocabulary.
The photograph was taken during NASA’s Gemini XII mission, while Aldrin was performing a spacewalk outside the spacecraft. He positioned a camera on the edge of the open hatch, pointed it towards himself and captured an image with Earth visible in the background.
The photograph, now an iconic image in the history of space exploration, was taken during Aldrin’s first stand-up extravehicular activity (EVA), in which he worked outside the spacecraft while remaining positioned in its open hatch.
A mission that helped prepare NASA for the Moon
Launched on November 11, 1966, Gemini XII was the tenth and final crewed mission of NASA’s Gemini programme. It carried Aldrin and fellow astronaut James A. Lovell Jr. into space.
The mission had several important objectives, including rendezvous and docking with another spacecraft and demonstrating that astronauts could work effectively outside their vehicles.
Aldrin completed three extravehicular activities during the mission. His work included installing handrails and testing equipment and techniques designed to make spacewalks safer and more manageable.
These experiments were particularly important as NASA prepared for the Apollo programme and its ambitious goal of landing astronauts on the Moon before the end of the decade.
Gemini XII returned to Earth on November 15, 1966, having completed its objectives and helped NASA overcome some of the technical challenges associated with spacewalking.
Three years later, on July 20, 1969, Aldrin became the second human to walk on the Moon, alongside Neil Armstrong, during the historic Apollo 11 mission.
The original space selfie remains one of the most recognisable photographs from the Gemini programme, capturing a moment that combined an important technological achievement with an unexpected piece of photographic history.
Also read: ON THIS DAY: Church of England approves women priests (1992)
For more videos and updates, check out our YouTube channel.
