Topic: Astronaut EVA 'selfies' (Gemini, Apollo, Skylab)
Jim_Voce Member
Posts: 275 From: Registered: Jul 2016
posted 06-07-2017 12:31 AM
Buzz Aldrin has said that he was the first astronaut to ever take a "selfie" in space. Specifically, during his Gemini 12 spacewalk, he lifted his reflected visor to reveal his face and snapped a picture. I believe that Aldrin also lifted his reflective visor when he was on the moon and Armstrong photographed him.
Jack Schmitt also lifted his reflective visor when he was on the moon as well and Gene Cernan took a picture of him.
Other than Aldrin and Schmitt, does anyone know which astronauts had their faces photographed during spacewalks and lunar excursions on Gemini, Apollo and Skylab missions?
Mike_The_First Member
Posts: 436 From: USA Registered: Jun 2014
posted 06-07-2017 01:29 AM
At risk of being too direct, Buzz is wrong.
Mike Collins beat him to the punch on Gemini 10.
Mike Dixon Member
Posts: 1625 From: Kew, Victoria, Australia Registered: May 2003
posted 06-07-2017 02:33 AM
Never seen a visor lifted pic of Aldrin (there is one saluting the flag but visor down) but a "selfie" denotes a picture taken by the astronaut himself, so Aldrin gets it for mine.
Mike_The_First Member
Posts: 436 From: USA Registered: Jun 2014
posted 06-07-2017 04:41 AM
For the record, even Buzz acknowledges that Mike Collins was the first to take a selfie in space — Buzz was just the first to do it outside the spacecraft.
That's actually what first caught my eye about the whole situation. In reading his book, Buzz starts by mentioning that Mike Collins took a picture of himself in space during the Gemini 10 mission, and Buzz wanted to try doing one outside the spacecraft. But, somehow, between there and the next sentence, the words "outside the spacecraft" got lost and Buzz was taking credit for the "first selfie in space."
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 53595 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-07-2017 05:34 AM
quote:Originally posted by Mike Dixon: Never seen a visor lifted pic of Aldrin...
There are four frames from Gemini 12 with Aldrin's visor up, the best of which are:
posted 06-07-2017 05:54 AM
The ones you linked, Robert, are the ones Buzz was referring to, but there's also a third one of Collins from Gemini X that was shot with a movie camera and released as a press image.
Given that it was shot with a movie camera, the selfie tag is debatable (even though a movie is just a series of multiple still frames).
Of course, none of these are EVA shots like the thread asked for, but I wanted to make a point to correct the record about Buzz's EVA selfie not being the first "space selfie."
Also, as an aside, S66-46270 is listed by NASA and other sources as being John Young, even though Collins' name tag is clearly visible. From the site Robert linked above, it would appear they mislabeled the image altogether, rather than just the caption.
Mike Dixon Member
Posts: 1625 From: Kew, Victoria, Australia Registered: May 2003
posted 06-07-2017 06:10 AM
Sorry for the confusion. I was referring to a "selfie" by the astronaut and outside of the spacecraft and visor up.
nasamad Member
Posts: 2199 From: Essex, UK Registered: Jul 2001
posted 06-07-2017 01:41 PM
Although Jim's thread title mentions "selfie" his post actually just asks whose faces were visible during EVA's.
Apart from Owen Garriott during his Skylab EVA, the only person whose faces I can remember even partially seeing during an EVA, is Ron Evans during his Apollo 17 EVA where he partially lifted his visor (well, Gene Cernan's visor to be exact). Hard to see but with a bit of processing I'm sure someone could bring out a little more detail from the 70mm scans on Flickr.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4031 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 06-07-2017 02:39 PM
Some of the moonwalkers including Al Shepard, Ed Mitchell and Jim Irwin had their visors up when they descended the LM ladder to the lunar surface. Buzz Aldrin raised his visor when Neil Armstrong was reading the plaque on the LM ladder.
Also, Alan Bean on Skylab 3.
Jim_Voce Member
Posts: 275 From: Registered: Jul 2016
posted 06-08-2017 03:47 AM
Allow me to clarify my question - Aldrin and Schmitt have been photographed during their EVAs with their reflective visors lifted. So one is able to see their faces during their EVAs.
Are there any other astronauts during the Gemini, Apollo and Skylab eras whose faces were visible during their spacewalks or when walking on the moon?
Adam (nasamad), I really appreciate you clarifying my question as well. And LM_12 thank you for answering the question exactly as I had hoped!
YankeeClipper Member
Posts: 639 From: Dublin, Ireland Registered: Mar 2011
posted 06-08-2017 09:48 AM
This image of Neil Armstrong, while not a selfie, meets some of your criteria.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4031 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 06-08-2017 12:02 PM
Schmitt seems to be looking down at Cernan's glove in this LRV camera view of the Apollo 17 moonwalkers on EVA-2.
Charlie Duke turns to the LRV camera with his visor up at Shadow Rock on EVA-3. Gene Cernan raises his visor when he brushes the LRV camera lens at Station 2.
Jim_Voce Member
Posts: 275 From: Registered: Jul 2016
posted 06-10-2017 02:33 PM
LM-12 and Yankee Clipper great answers. LM-12 do you have a link to the picture of Duke with his visor up and Cernan with his visor up?
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4031 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 10-15-2018 11:06 PM
Cernan can be seen raising his visor at Station 2 when he brushes off the LRV camera lens. See the video clip at 142:48:34 in the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4031 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-01-2019 06:51 PM
Buzz Aldrin raises his visor and waves during his Gemini 12 EVA, seen at 4:01 in this EVA footage.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4031 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-04-2019 01:14 AM
Isn't that Aldrin's 70mm Maurer camera in Gemini 12 photo S66-62926?
All the Gemini 12 selfie photos of Aldrin (S66-62921 to S66-62927) were taken with the 70mm Hasselblad camera. All seven photos look visor-up to me.
S66-62926 seems to be the photograph often identified as the first EVA selfie, but shouldn't the first be S66-62921?
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4031 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-07-2019 08:55 AM
Photo S66-54657 shows Conrad inside the Gemini 11 spacecraft when Gordon opened the hatch to jettison some EVA equipment.
Photo S66-62916 shows Lovell inside the Gemini 12 spacecraft during Aldrin's stand-up EVA.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4031 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-07-2019 08:01 PM
The original caption for the S66-54657 photo of Conrad is incorrect:
Photograph of tether line and a patch on Lieutenant Commander Richard Gordons shoulder through open hatch taken during the Gemini XI mission during orbit no. 16 on September 13, 1966.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4031 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-09-2024 12:31 PM
They are not visor-up photos, but Harrison Schmitt took four out-of-focus photos (found on Magazine 152) of himself during the Apollo 17 transearth EVA with Ron Evans. This is one of the photos:
heng44 Member
Posts: 3781 From: Netherlands Registered: Nov 2001
posted 12-10-2024 08:28 AM
Rotated, cropped and edited the Gemini 11 and 12 images to show what we're looking at here.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4031 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-10-2024 02:42 PM
Okay, thanks for that, Ed.
I found some images of Shepard, Mitchell and Irwin coming down the ladder with visors up:
Shepard
Mitchell
Irwin
Robert Pearlman Editor
Posts: 53595 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 12-10-2024 03:19 PM
I think there is film footage (from which the above stills were taken) showing all 12 moonwalkers (separately) with their visors lifted up at some point during their respective lunar EVAs, though I have not recently checked and could be mistaken.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 4031 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-11-2024 06:00 AM
The Station 2 video clip mentioned earlier is interesting because you can see Cernan talking with his visor up.
posted 06-07-2017 12:31 AM
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