L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.
Colonel Cooper was selected as a Mercury astronaut in April 1959. He piloted the “Faith 7” spacecraft which concluded the operational phase of Project Mercury. Cooper served as command pilot of the Gemini 5 mission. He served as backup command pilot for Gemini 12 and as backup commander for Apollo 10. Colonel Cooper logged 222 hours in space. He retired from the Air Force and NASA in 1970.
Quick Facts
Colonel Cooper was selected as a Mercury astronaut in April 1959.
On May 15–16, 1963, he piloted the Faith 7 spacecraft on a 22-orbit mission which concluded the operational phase of Project Mercury.
Colonel Cooper logged 222 hours in space. He retired from the Air Force and NASA in 1970, and passed away on Oct. 4, 2004.
Biography
L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.
Colonel Cooper was selected as a Mercury astronaut in April 1959. He piloted the “Faith 7” spacecraft which concluded the operational phase of Project Mercury. Cooper served as command pilot of the Gemini 5 mission. He served as backup command pilot for Gemini 12 and as backup commander for Apollo 10. Colonel Cooper logged 222 hours in space. He retired from the Air Force and NASA in 1970.
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Mercury-Atlas 9: Faith 7
For the final crewed mission of Project Mercury, astronaut Gordon Cooper completed 22 orbits around the Earth, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
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Former Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper
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The NASA family gathered at the Johnson Space Center in Houston today to honor the memory of Mercury astronaut Gordon…
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The Mercury Seven
