Ferdinand Foch
French marchal and military theorist (1851-1929)
Gordon Cooper was one of the original seven astronauts in NASA’s Project Mercury, the first human spaceflight program in the United States. He set several records, including being the first American to spend an entire day in space and the last to fly a solo orbital mission. Cooper also had a passion for racing cars and boats in his free time.
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About the Gordon Cooper
Leroy Gordon Cooper Jr.was an American aerospace engineer, test pilot, United States Air Force pilot, and the youngest of the seven original astronauts in Project Mercury, the first human space program of the United States. Cooper learned to fly as a child, and after service in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, he was commissioned into the United States Air Force in 1949. After service as a fighter pilot, he qualified as a test pilot in 1956, and was selected as an astronaut in 1959.
In 1963 Cooper piloted the longest and last Mercury spaceflight, Mercury-Atlas 9. During that 34-hour mission he became the first American to spend an entire day in space, the first to sleep in space, and the last American launched on an entirely solo orbital mission. Despite a series of severe equipment failures, he successfully completed the mission under manual control, guiding his spacecraft, which he named Faith 7, to a splashdown just 4 milesahead of the recovery ship. Cooper became the first astronaut to make a second orbital flight when he flew as command pilot of Gemini 5 in 1965. Along with pilot Pete Conrad, he set a new space endurance record by traveling 3,312,993 milesin 190 hours and 56 minutes–just short of eight days–showing that astronauts could survive in space for the length of time necessary to go from the Earth to the Moon and back.
Cooper liked to race cars and boats, and entered the $28,000 Salton City 500 milesboat race, and the Southwest Championship Drag Boat races in 1965, and the 1967 Orange Bowl Regatta with fire fighter Red Adair. In 1968, he entered the 24 Hours of Daytona, but NASA management ordered him to withdraw due to the dangers involved. After serving as backup commander of the Apollo 10 mission, he was superseded by Alan Shepard. He retired from NASA and the Air Force with the rank of colonel in 1970.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gordon Cooper was an American aerospace engineer, test pilot, and one of the seven original astronauts in NASA’s Project Mercury, the first human spaceflight program in the United States.
During his 34-hour Mercury-Atlas 9 mission, Gordon Cooper became the first American to spend an entire day in space, the first to sleep in space, and the last American to fly a solo orbital mission.
Gordon Cooper liked to race cars and boats, and he entered several races, including the Salton City 500 miles boat race, the Southwest Championship Drag Boat races, and the 24 Hours of Daytona.
During the Gemini 5 mission, Gordon Cooper and his co-pilot Pete Conrad set a new space endurance record by traveling 3,312,993 miles in 190 hours and 56 minutes, just short of eight days.
Despite a series of severe equipment failures, Gordon Cooper successfully completed the Mercury-Atlas 9 mission under manual control, guiding his spacecraft, which he named Faith 7, to a splashdown just 4 miles ahead of the recovery ship.
After serving as backup commander of the Apollo 10 mission, Gordon Cooper was superseded by Alan Shepard and retired from NASA and the Air Force with the rank of colonel in 1970.
2 Quotes by Gordon Cooper
- 1.
Father, we thank you, especially for letting me fly this flight – for the privilege of being able to be in this position, to be in this wondrous place, seeing all these many startling, wonderful things that you have created.
Gordon CooperAmerican astronaut (1927-2004)
- 2.
I believe that these extra-terrestrial vehicles and their crews are visiting this planet from other planets. Most astronauts were reluctant to discuss UFOs.
Gordon CooperAmerican astronaut (1927-2004)