Astronaut Profile
Gordon Cooper
Pilot
Gordon Cooper piloted Faith 7, the final and longest Mercury flight, becoming the first American to spend more than a day in space.
OrbitingTruths Archive
Pilot • Deceased
Biography
The person behind the mission
L. Gordon Cooper Jr. was a U.S. Air Force test pilot and one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts. He piloted Faith 7 on May 15-16, 1963, completing 22 orbits of Earth over more than 34 hours, the longest and final flight of the Mercury program. During the mission he became the first American to sleep in space. Cooper later commanded Gemini 5 in 1965, an eight-day flight that set a new spaceflight endurance record.
Astronaut Details
Born
March 6, 1927
Died
October 4, 2004
Birthplace
Shawnee, Oklahoma, USA
Role
Pilot
Program
Mercury
Time in Space
9 days, 9 hours, 14 minutes
Missions
Faith 7, Gemini 5
Recognition
Awards & Honors
- NASA Distinguished Service Medal
- Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross
- Congressional Space Medal of Honor