Gordon Cooper

Leroy Gordon "Gordo" Cooper Jr. (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
Born	Leroy Gordon Cooper Jr. (1927-03-06)March 6, 1927 Shawnee, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died	October 4, 2004(2004-10-04) (aged 77) Ventura, California, U.S.
Nationality	United States
Alma mater	University of Hawaii University of Maryland Air Force Institute of Technology, B.S. 1956
Occupation	Test pilot
Awards	Legion of Merit Distinguished Flying Cross (2) NASA Distinguished Service Medal NASA Exceptional Service Medal
Space career
NASA Astronaut
Rank	Colonel, USAF
Time in space	9d 09h 14m
Selection	1959 NASA Group 1
Missions	Mercury-Atlas 9, Gemini 5
Mission insignia
Retirement	July 31, 1970

Cooper died at age 77 from heart failure at his home in Ventura, California, on October 4, 2004.^[1]