Gordon Cooper
331785
225314959
2008-07-13T01:27:48Z
64.223.230.30
/* Memorial sub-orbital flight */
{{Launching/Falcon|type=deceased person|that=who|role=be [[space burial|buried in space]]}}
{{Infobox Astronaut
|name =Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr.
|image =GPN-2000-001402.jpg
|type =Astronaut
|nationality =[[United States|American]]
|date_birth =[[6 March]] [[1927]]
|date_death =[[4 October]] [[2004]]
|place_birth =[[Shawnee, Oklahoma|Shawnee]], [[Oklahoma]]
|place_death =[[Ventura]], [[California]]
|occupation =[[Test pilot|Test Pilot]]
|rank =[[Colonel]], [[USAF]]
|selection =[[List of astronauts by selection#1959|1959 NASA Group]]
|time =222h
|mission =[[Mercury 9]] (Faith 7), [[Gemini 5]]
|insignia =[[Image:Faith 7 insignia.jpg|40px]] [[Image:Gemini5insignia.png|40px]]
|}}
'''Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr.''', also noted as '''Gordo Cooper''', ([[6 March]] [[1927]] – [[4 October]] [[2004]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[astronaut]]. Cooper was one of the [[Mercury Seven|seven original astronauts]] in [[Project Mercury]], the first manned-space effort by the [[United States]]. He flew the longest spaceflight of the Mercury project, was the first American to sleep in orbit and has been noted as the last American to fly alone in earth orbit thus far.
== Early years ==
Cooper was born in [[Shawnee, Oklahoma]]. He grew up there and in [[Murray, Kentucky]] where he attended public schools. He was active in the [[Boy Scouts of America]] and achieved the second highest rank of Life Scout. Cooper served in the [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] in 1945 and 1946, then received an [[United States Army|Army]] commission after completing three years of coursework at the [[University of Hawaii]]. Cooper met his first wife Trudy (the only wife of a Mercury astronaut with a [[Pilot certification in the United States|private pilot's license]]) while in Hawaii and they married in 1947. Cooper transferred his commission to the [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] in 1949, was placed on active duty and received flight training at [[Perrin AFB]], Texas and [[Williams Air Force Base|Williams AFB]], Arizona.
Cooper's first flight assignment came in 1950 at [[Landstuhl]], [[West Germany]] where he flew [[F-84 Thunderjet]]s and [[F-86 Sabre]]s for four years. While in Germany he also attended the European Extension of the [[University of Maryland University College|University of Maryland]]. Returning to the United States, he studied for two years at the [[Air Force Institute of Technology]] in Ohio and in 1957 completed his bachelor's degree in [[aerospace engineering]]. Cooper was then assigned to the Experimental Flight Test School at [[Edwards Air Force Base]] in [[California]] and after graduation was posted to the Flight Test Engineering Division at Edwards where he served as a [[test pilot]] and project manager testing the [[F-102A]] and [[F-106 Delta Dart|F-106B]].<ref name ="NASA">Gray, Tara, ''[http://history.nasa.gov/40thmerc7/cooper.htm L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.]'', history.nasa.gov, retrieved 20 January 2008</ref> Cooper logged more than 7,000 hours of flight time, with 4,000 hours in jet aircraft. He flew all types of commercial and [[general aviation]] airplanes and [[helicopter]]s.
== Astronaut ==
[[Image:S63-07856.jpg|thumb|Cooper in an [[SSTV]] broadcast from Faith 7]]
=== Mercury program ===
While at Edwards, Cooper was intrigued to read an announcement saying a contract had been awarded to [[McDonnell Aircraft]] in [[St. Louis, Missouri]] to build a space capsule. Shortly after this he was called to Washington, D.C. for a [[NASA]] briefing on [[Project Mercury]] and the part astronauts would play in it. Cooper went through the selection process with the other 109 pilots and was not surprised when he was accepted as one of the first seven American astronauts.
Each of the Mercury astronauts was assigned to a different portion of the project along with other special assignments. Cooper specialized in the [[Redstone rocket]] (and developed a personal survival knife for astronauts to carry). He also chaired the Emergency Egress Committee, responsible for working out emergency [[launch pad]] procedures for escape. Cooper served as [[capsule communicator]] (CAPCOM) for [[John Glenn]]'s first [[orbital spaceflight]] in [[Mercury-Atlas 6]] (''Friendship 7'') and [[Scott Carpenter]]'s flight on [[Mercury-Atlas 7]] (''Aurora 7''). He was backup pilot for [[Wally Schirra]] in [[Mercury-Atlas 8]] (''Sigma 7'').
Cooper was launched into space on [[15 May]] [[1963]] aboard the [[Mercury-Atlas 9]] (''Faith 7'') spacecraft, the last Mercury mission. He orbited the earth 22 times and logged more time in space than all five previous Mercury astronauts combined – 34 hours, 19 minutes and 49 seconds, traveling 546,167 miles (878,971 km) at 17,547 mph (28,239 km/h), pulling a maximum of 7.6 [[g-force|''g'']] (74.48 m/s²). Cooper achieved an altitude of 165.9 [[statute mile]]s (267 km) at [[Apsis|apogee]]. He was the first American astronaut to sleep not only in orbit but on the [[launch pad]] during a countdown.
==== Spam in a can ====
Like all Mercury flights Faith 7 was designed for fully automatic control, a controversial engineering decision which in many ways reduced the role of an astronaut to that of a passenger and stirred [[Chuck Yeager]] to describe Mercury astronauts as ''spam in a can''.<ref>Wolfe, Tom, ''[[The Right Stuff (book)|The Right Stuff]]'' 1979 ISBN 978-0312427566</ref>
Towards the end of the Faith 7 flight there were mission-threatening [[Mercury-Atlas 9#Technical problems on the flight|technical problems]]. During the 19th orbit the capsule had a power failure, carbon dioxide levels began rising and the cabin temperature jumped to over a hundred degrees. Cooper fell back on his understanding of star patterns, took manual control of the tiny capsule and successfully estimated the correct pitch for re-entry into the atmosphere. Some precision was needed in the calculation since if the capsule came in too deep it would burn up and if its trajectory was too shallow it would bounce off the atmosphere into space. Cooper drew lines on the capsule window to help him check his orientation before firing the re-entry rockets. "So I used my wrist watch for time," he later recalled, "my eyeballs out the window for attitude. Then I fired my retrorockets at the right time and landed right by the carrier."<ref name="UFO">space.com, ''[http://www.space.com/news/spaceagencies/gordon_ufos_000728.html Gordon Cooper Touts New Book Leap of Faith]'', 30 July 2000, retrieved 20 January 2008</ref><ref>Wagener, Leon, ''One Giant Leap'', Forge Books, 2004 ISBN 978-0312873431</ref> Cooper's cool-headed performance and piloting skills led to a basic rethinking of design philosophy for later space missions.
=== Gemini ===
Two years later ([[21 August]] [[1965]]) Cooper flew as command pilot of [[Gemini 5]] on an eight-day, 120-orbit mission with [[Pete Conrad]]. The two astronauts established a new space endurance record by traveling a distance of 3,312,993 miles (5,331,745 km) in 190 hours and 56 minutes, showing astronauts could survive in space for the length of time necessary to go from the earth to the moon and back. Cooper was the first astronaut to make a second orbital flight and later served as backup command pilot for [[Gemini 12]].
=== Retirement from astronaut corps ===
Cooper was selected as backup commander for [[Apollo 10]] and was scheduled to fly to the moon as commander of [[Apollo 13]]. However, after a falling-out with NASA management, [[Alan Shepard]] was chosen instead (Shepard's crew was later moved onto [[Apollo 14]] and the Apollo 13 command went to [[Jim Lovell]]). Having flown 222 hours in space, Cooper retired from NASA and the Air Force on [[31 July]] [[1970]] as a [[colonel (United States)|colonel]].
== Later years ==
After leaving NASA, Cooper served on several corporate boards and as technical consultant for more than a dozen companies in fields ranging from high performance boat design to energy, construction and aircraft design. During the 1970s, he worked for [[The Walt Disney Company]] as a vice-president of research and development for [[Epcot]].
After divorcing his first wife Trudy, Cooper married Suzan Taylor in 1972. He had four daughters, Camala Keoki (Cooper) Tharpe and Janita Lee (Cooper) Stone (both from his first marriage) along with Elizabeth Jo and Colleen Taylor (from his second marriage).
Cooper received an honorary doctorate of science degree from [[Oklahoma State University]] in 1967. His autobiographical book ''Leap of Faith'' (ISBN 0-06-019416-2) recounted his experiences with the Air Force and [[NASA]] along with his efforts to expose an alleged [[UFO conspiracy theory]]. Cooper was also a major contributor to the book ''[[In the Shadow of the Moon (book)|In the Shadow of the Moon]]'' (published after his death) which offered Cooper's final published thoughts on his life and career.
===UFO claims===
Cooper claimed to have seen his first [[UFO]] while flying over West Germany in 1951, although he denied reports, he had seen a UFO during his Mercury flight.<ref>Martin, Robert Scott, ''[http://www.space.com/sciencefiction/phenomena/cooper.html Gordon Cooper: No Mercury UFO]'', space.com, 10 September 1999, retrieved 20 January 2008</ref> In his memoirs Cooper wrote he had seen other unexplained aircraft several times during his career and also said hundreds of similar reports had been made, often by military jet pilots responding to [[radar]] or visual sightings from the ground. He further claimed these sightings had been "swept under the rug" by the US government.<ref name="UFO"/> Throughout his later life Cooper was convinced he had seen [[UFO|extra-terrestrial craft]]s and described his recollections for the documentary [[Out of the Blue (2002 film)|''Out of the Blue'']].<ref name="UFO"/>
=== Death ===
Cooper developed [[Parkinson's disease]] late in life and at age 77 died from heart failure at his home in [[Ventura, California]] on [[October 4]], [[2004]], the same day [[Scaled Composites SpaceShipOne|SpaceShipOne]] made its second official qualifying flight and won the [[Ansari X-Prize]].
==== Memorial sub-orbital flight ====
On [[29 April]] [[2007]] Cooper's ashes (along with those of [[Star Trek]] actor [[James Doohan]] and 200 others) were launched from [[New Mexico]] on a sub-orbital memorial flight by a privately owned [[UP Aerospace]] [[SpaceLoft XL]] [[sounding rocket]]. Although the capsule carrying the ashes fell back earthward as planned it was lost in mountainous landscape. The search was thwarted by bad weather but after a few weeks the capsule was found and the ashes it carried were returned to the families.<ref>uk.reuters.com, ''[http://uk.reuters.com/article/wtMostRead/idUKN1823270020070518 Ashes of "Star Trek's" Scotty found after space ride]'', 18 May 2007, retrieved 20 January 2008</ref><ref>Sherriff, Lucy, ''[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/22/scotty_ashes_found/ Scotty: ashes located and heading home]'', 22 May 2007, retrieved 20 January 2008</ref>
==Awards and decorations==
Cooper received many awards including the Air Force [[Legion of Merit]], the [[Distinguished Flying Cross (United States)|Distinguished Flying Cross]] with [[oak leaf clusters]], the [[NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal]], the [[Collier Trophy]], the [[Harmon Trophy]], the [[DeMolay]] Legion of Honor, the [[John F. Kennedy Trophy]], the [[Iven C. Kincheloe Award]], the [[University of Hawaii]] Regents Medal and the [[Columbus Medal]]. He was a [[Master Mason]] (member of Carbondale Lodge 82 in Carbondale, Colorado) and a 33rd Degree [[Scottish Rite]] Mason.
Cooper was a member of several groups and societies including the [[Society of Experimental Test Pilots]], the [[American Astronautical Society]], [[Scottish Rite]], [[York Rite]], [[Shriners]], [[Rotary Club]], [[Order of Daedalians]], [[Confederate Air Force]] and [[Boy Scouts of America]].
[[Gordon Cooper Technology Center]] in [[Shawnee]], [[Oklahoma]] is named after Cooper.
==Cultural influence==
Cooper's accomplishments (along with his widely noted and appealing personality) were depicted in the 1983 film ''[[The Right Stuff (film)|The Right Stuff]]'' in which he was portrayed by actor [[Dennis Quaid]]. Cooper worked closely with the production company on this project and reportedly, every line uttered by Quaid is attributable to Cooper's recollection. Quaid met with Cooper before the casting call and rapidly learned his mannerisms. Quaid also had his hair cut and dyed to match how the former astronaut's hair looked during the 1950s and 1960s. Cooper was later depicted in the 1998 HBO series ''[[From the Earth to the Moon (HBO)|From the Earth to the Moon]]'', in which his character was played by [[Robert C. Treveiler]]. Cooper appeared as himself in an episode of the television series ''[[CHiPs]]'' and during the early 1980s made regular call in appearances on ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]''. The ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'' character [[Gordon Tracy]] was named after him.
== Quotes ==
{{cquote|<tt>No bucks, no [[Buck Rogers]]!</tt>}}
:::(This expression about the high level of funding needed for spaceflight was popular among test pilots and astronauts in the United States during the late 1950s and early 1960s)
{{cquote|<tt>In the early days, there was so little that we knew about space. Every day was an 'oh, gee-whiz day' or big adventure.</tt>}}
{{cquote|<tt>Who's the best pilot y'ever saw?</tt>}}
==References and notes==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://history.nasa.gov/40thmerc7/cooper.htm NASA biography for 40th Anniversary of Mercury 7]
*[http://www11.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/cooper-lg.html Johnson Space Center biography]
*[http://www.spacefacts.de/bios/astronauts/english/cooper_gordon.htm Spacefacts biography]
*''[http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/features/remembering_gordo.html Remembering 'Gordo' – NASA memories of Gordon Cooper]''
*[http://www.ufoevidence.org/news/article162.htm Interview with Cooper about UFOs and aliens] (with much added speculation)
*Space.com article, ''[http://www.space.com/news/spaceagencies/gordon_ufos_000728.html Pioneering Astronaut Sees UFO Cover-up]''
*{{imdb title|id=1121958|title=Out of the Blue}}
*[http://www.gctech.org/ Gordon Cooper Technology Center]
*{{Find A Grave|id=9554259}}
{{Astronaut Group 1 Footer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, Gordon}}
[[Category:American astronauts]]
[[Category:American aviators]]
[[Category:Space burials]]
[[Category:People from Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:People from Murray, Kentucky]]
[[Category:People with Parkinson's disease]]
[[Category:United States Air Force officers]]
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:2004 deaths]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit]]
[[Category:Recipients of US Distinguished Flying Cross]]
[[Category:Air Force Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:Deaths from Parkinson's disease]]
[[Category:U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame Inductees]]
[[Category:University of Hawaii alumni]]
[[Category:Test pilots]]
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