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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.

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.

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.

Colonel Cooper logged 222 hours in space. He retired from the Air Force and NASA in 1970, and passed away on Oct. 4, 2004.

Astronaut Gordon Cooper in spacesuit holding helmet, in front of a yellow backdrop — Mercury astronaut L. Gordon Cooper Jr. is wearing a spacesuit during Mercury-Atlas 9 prelaunch activities.

Official portrait of Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper — Official portrait of Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper.

On April 9, 1959, NASA introduced its first astronaut class, the Mercury 7. — On April 9, 1959, NASA introduced its first astronaut class, the Mercury 7. Front row, left to right: Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Donald K. “Deke” Slayton, John H. Glenn, Jr., and M. Scott Carpenter; back row, Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, and L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.

Cooper in the “white room,” waiting for test activities to resume in preparation for his Mercury launch in May of 1963.

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.

Astronaut Gordon Cooper stands fully suited beside the Faith 7 spacecraft.

Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper Jr., pilot for the Mercury-Atlas 9 (MA-9) mission, stands fully suited beside his spacecraft during preflight testing. Cooper named his spacecraft the Faith 7

NASA

All Crewed Missions

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.

All Crewed Missions

Gemini V

Former Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper

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Featured Story

Gordon Cooper Memorialized

The NASA family gathered at the Johnson Space Center in Houston today to honor the memory of Mercury astronaut Gordon…

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Portrait of M. Scott Carpenter.

M. Scott Carpenter

Mercury-Atlas 7 astronaut

Portrait of L. Gordon Cooper, former astronaut

L. Gordon Cooper

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John H. Glenn

Mercury-Atlas 6 and STS-95 astronaut

Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom

Mercury-Redstone 4, Gemini III and Apollo 1 astronaut

Portrait of Walter M. Schirra

Walter M. Schirra

Mercury-Atlas 8, Gemini VI-A and Apollo 7 astronaut

Alan B. Shepard, Jr.

Mercury-Redstone 3 and Apollo 14 astronaut

Donald K. "Deke" Slayton

Apollo-Soyuz Test Project astronaut

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