Gordon Cooper
by Lucy Kelly
About Gordon Cooper
Born:
March 6, 1927, Shawnee, Oklahoma, United States
Died:
October 4, 2003, Ventura, California, United States
Space Mission:
Gemini 5, Mercury-Atlas 9
Books:
Leap of Faith, The Astronauts: Pioneers in Space
Early Intersts
As a child, Gordon (or Leroy to his parents) gave an interest in Boy Scouts achieving 2nd place. Later on he loved football and track.
He soon got into combat so he enlisted himself into the United States Marine Corps and after he graduated was assigned into the Naval Academy Preparatory School.
Gordon's Career in NASA
Mercury-Atlas 9
Piloted by Gordon, Mercury-Atlas 9 was launched on May 15, 1963. The spacecraft completed 22 Earth orbits before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.
Gemini 5
Gemini 5 was a 1965 manned spaceflight in NASA's Gemini Program. It was the first time an American manned space mission held the world record for duration set on August 26, 1959.