S. RES. 470: Honoring the life of astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr.
SRES 470 ATS
November 18, 2004
Mr. INHOFE submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to
Whereas Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr., was born on March 6, 1927, in Shawnee, Oklahoma;
Whereas Gordon Cooper served as a colonel in the United States Air Force and was selected as one of the original Project Mercury astronauts in April of 1959;
Whereas the 7 original Project Mercury astronauts helped to inspire generations of scientists and engineers;
Whereas, when Gordon Cooper piloted the Faith 7 spacecraft on the final operational mission of Project Mercury from May 15 to May 16, 1963, he traveled a total of 546,167 statute miles and became the first astronaut from the United States to spend more than a day in space;
Whereas, when Gordon Cooper served as command pilot on the 8-day 120-orbit Gemini 5 mission that began on August 21, 1965, he and pilot Charles Conrad established a new space endurance record by traveling a distance of 3,312,993 miles in an elapsed time of 190 hours and 56 minutes;
Whereas Gordon Cooper was the first man to go into space for a second time;
Whereas Gordon Cooper served as backup command pilot for the Gemini 12 mission and as backup commander for the Apollo 10 flight;
Whereas Gordon Cooper logged 222 hours in space and retired from the Air Force and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in 1970;
Whereas the special honors Gordon Cooper received during his lifetime included the Air Force Distinguished Flying Cross, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Distinguished Service Medal, and the John F. Kennedy Trophy; and
Whereas Gordon Cooper passed away at his home in Ventura, California, on October 4, 2004, at the age of 77: Now, therefore, be it
- Resolved, That the Senate honors the life of astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr.
