Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr., (Colonel, USAF, Ret.) an original Mercury 7 astronaut, died earlier today at his home in Ventura, Calif. He was 77 years old. Cooper piloted the sixth and last flight of the Mercury program and later commanded Gemini V.
“As one of the original seven Mercury astronauts, Gordon Cooper was one of the faces of America’s fledgling space program. He truly portrayed the right stuff, and he helped gain the backing and enthusiasm of the American public, so critical for the spirit of exploration. My thoughts and prayers are with Gordon’s family during this difficult time,” said NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe.
“Cooper’s efforts and those of his fellow Mercury astronauts, Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, John Glenn, Scott Carpenter, Wally Schirra and Deke Slayton, serve as reminders of what drives us to explore. They also remind us that to succeed any vision for exploration needs the support of the American people,” Administrator O’Keefe said.
The youngest of the original seven astronauts, Cooper’s flight in his Faith 7 spacecraft stretched the capabilities of the Mercury capsule to the limits. The mission, May 15 and 16, 1963, lasted more than 34 hours and 22 orbits. That was more than three times the longest U.S. human space flight until that time, and far exceeded the initial design capability of the capsule. During his flight, Cooper became the first astronaut to sleep in space.
“NASA’s astronauts extend their deepest sympathies to Gordon Cooper’s family,” said Kent Rominger, chief of the astronaut office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “He was among the first pioneers in space and his achievements inspired many of us to pursue our dreams of exploring our universe. We salute his many accomplishments as an astronaut and as a husband and father. He will be truly missed,” he said.
Cooper and Charles Conrad Jr. flew the troubled and suspenseful third flight of the Gemini program in August 1965. The goal of the mission was to prove astronauts could survive in space long enough to perform a lunar mission. During their eight-day mission, they experienced a number of problems with power systems, thruster fuel, venting gas that caused the spacecraft to roll, and more in a seemingly unending series.
But they stayed in orbit for almost 191 hours, 122 orbits in nearly eight days, and got themselves and their spacecraft back intact. In orbit, they accomplished a “shadow rendezvous” with an imaginary spacecraft, an exercise demonstrating it could be done.
Sam Beddingfield, NASA’s Mechanical Engineer for Project Mercury said, ” He (Cooper) would think about anything and always be willing to give his opinion. He knew what he was doing and could always make things work.”
Cooper was born on March 6, 1927, in Shawnee, Okla. He served in the Marine Corps in 1945 and 1946. He then attended the University of Hawaii, where he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. In 1949 he was called to active duty and completed pilot training in the U.S. Air Force. From 1950 to 1954 he was a fighter pilot in Germany.
Norris Gray, NASA’s Fire Chief and Emergency Preparedness Officer during the Mercury and Gemini years said, ” Cooper never said ‘you can’t do it,’ he was gung-ho on everything. He was a real gentleman from the word go. He led a full life, one that a lot of people would want to live.”
Cooper earned a bachelor’s degree at the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1956, then completed test pilot school at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. He served as a test pilot there until he was selected as a Mercury astronaut.
Cooper was backup command pilot of Gemini 12, launched in November 1965. He also served as backup command pilot for Apollo 10, which flew in May 1969. He left NASA and retired from the Air Force as a colonel on July 31, 1970.
He founded Gordon Cooper and Associates in 1970. He served as president of the consulting firm that specialized in activities ranging from aerospace to hotel and land development projects. Cooper was a director of a number of other organizations, most specializing in energy, advanced electronics systems, efficient homes, boats and marine systems and equipment.
In 1975, he became vice president for research and development for Walter E. Disney Enterprises Inc. of Glendale, Calif., the research and development subsidiary of Walt Disney Productions.
Throughout his life, Cooper pursued a wide range of activities, both professionally and as hobbies. A NASA biography lists his hobbies as treasure hunting, archaeology, racing, flying, skiing, boating, hunting and fishing. Among his numerous awards were the Air Force Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross with cluster, NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal, the Collier Trophy and the Harmon Trophy.
He was the first active-duty military man to address joint sessions of Congress twice.Cooper continued his wide-ranging interests and activities until late in his life. He continued to design and test new aircraft in Southern California. “I get cranky if I don’t fly at least three times a month,” he told a reporter when he was 71.
Additional information about Cooper including his official NASA biography is available on the Internet at:
http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/cooper_obit.html
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/cooper-lg.html