Gordon Cooper Astronauta
March 6 1927 october 4 2004 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.
Gordon cooper astronauta. He helped pioneer this countrys space exploration efforts when aboard a tiny space capsule known as mercury faith 7 cooper orbited the earth for 34 hours proving that man could live outside our atmosphere for prolonged periods. On may 1516 1963 he circled earth 22 times in the space capsule faith 7 completing the sixth and last of the mercury crewed spaceflights. Trudy cooper is the wife of gordo cooper though they eventually divorce.
Gordon cooper was an american aerospace engineer test pilot and the youngest of seven astronauts in nasas project mercury. Leroy gordon gordo cooper jr. Was born on march 6 1927 in shawnee okla.
When she met gordo at the university of hawaii she was already a pilot herself. However during the selection interviews he lied and said that he and trudy had a healthy and stable marriage. Gordon cooper was one of americas original astronauts.
His accomplishments are as impressive as they are many. Gordon cooper in full leroy gordon cooper jr also called l. In 1963 cooper piloted the longest and last mercury spaceflight.
In fact his wife trudy had left him four months prior to the astronaut selection process. Trudy was born in february 1929 in seattle. They got married in honolulu in august 29 1947.
He would spend a total of two hundred and twenty two hours outside of the planet in the vacuum of space. She has an independent personality and is passionate about womens rights and is also a registered pilot and owner of a courier service. In 1949 he was called to active duty and completed pilot training in the us.
Like in the tv series the right stuff true story reveals that gordon cooper had a prolonged affair with a married woman. From 1950 to 1954 he was a fighter pilot in germany. 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.
Gordon cooper was a nasa astronaut who flew twice in space during the mercury and gemini programs. Gordon cooper jr one of the original seven astronauts who became national celebrities during the cold war space race died monday at his home in ventura calif. On his last flight gemini 5 cooper and crewmate pete conrad set what was then a world endurance.