# One of the Mercury Seven is dead. Gordon Cooper is gone. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 5, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590 "2004-10-05T01:51:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/1 "2004-10-05T01:51:46Z")
And we lose a space pioneer, a living symbol of the bright promise of tomorrow. [http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/10/04/gordon.cooper/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/10/04/gordon.cooper/index.html) > [@](#): > > By April 1959, Cooper was named as one of the Project Mercury astronauts, following grueling physical and mental tests each candidate had to endure. > > At the news conference naming the future of America’s space program, Cooper was joined by Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, John Glenn, M. Scott Carpenter, Walter Schirra Jr. and Deke Slayton. > > On May 15 and 16, 1963, Cooper piloted the Faith 7 spacecraft on a 22-orbit mission that concluded the operational phase of Project Mercury. ☹☹☹ ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/2 "2004-10-05T02:08:42Z")
Not Gordo… ---
**Author:** ![Santos\_L\_Halper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/santos_l_halper/32/1_2.png) [@Santos\_L\_Halper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santos_L_Halper)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/3 "2004-10-05T02:54:28Z")
I’m sorry to hear that. Another hero gone. Now there’s only three of the original Mercury Seven left: John Glenn, Scott Carpenter and Wally Schirra. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/4 "2004-10-05T03:28:45Z")
Glenn’s not looking too good these days. I have the feeling he’s only hanging on until a Democrat gets into the White House. ---
**Author:** ![lokij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@lokij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lokij)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/5 "2004-10-05T06:19:44Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > And we lose a space pioneer, a living symbol of the bright promise of tomorrow. > > [http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/10/04/gordon.cooper/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/10/04/gordon.cooper/index.html) > > ☹☹☹ I teared up when I heard this news… I hope he heard the news about Spaceship One. “On that glorious day in May 1963 Gordo Cooper went higher, farther and faster than any other American; 22 complete orbits around the world. He was the last American to go into space alone and for a brief moment, Gordo Cooper became the greatest pilot anyone had ever seen.” You truly had the right stuff alright Mr. Cooper. Rest in Peace. ---
**Author:** ![Optihut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/edb3f5/32.png) [@Optihut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Optihut)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/6 "2004-10-05T07:39:10Z")
That’s a shame - to me, the astronauts are the only clean, real heroes of the modern age. ---
**Author:** ![pyrrthon1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@pyrrthon1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pyrrthon1)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/7 "2004-10-05T09:06:46Z")
Dennis Quaid played him in _The Right Stuff,_ just to refresh your memories. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/8 "2004-10-05T11:35:26Z")
Wow – SS1, Sputnik, and this on the same day. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/9 "2004-10-05T11:41:32Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Wow – SS1, Sputnik, and this on the same day. > > Brian Sputnik? 😕😕 ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/10 "2004-10-05T12:03:59Z")
> [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Sputnik? 😕😕 The original Sputnik was launched on Oct 4, 1957. SS1 and Gordo’s passing occured on the anniversary. ---
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/11 "2004-10-05T12:38:26Z")
Wow, Gordo “Hot Dog” Cooper! What a shame. Didn’t he have a stroke a few years back? Did that contribute to his death? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/12 "2004-10-05T13:51:06Z")
It was odd seeing him and Janet Leigh side by side in the _Times_ today—both 77 years old, too. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/13 "2004-10-05T14:41:57Z")
I’lldrink a toast tonight to Gordon Cooper. He was a true pioneer…may he rest in peace. Anyway, I was just thinking…suppose Project mercury took place in the early 1950’s…where would we be today? ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/14 "2004-10-05T14:48:24Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > Glenn’s not looking too good these days. I have the feeling he’s only hanging on until a Democrat gets into the White House. Good. I want him to live to a ripe old age… ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/15 "2004-10-05T15:22:19Z")
Godspeed, Gordo. I’ll never forget the man who was the greatest pilot I ever saw. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/16 "2004-10-05T16:11:54Z")
Only three of the Mercury 7 are left now: Glenn, Schirra, and Carpenter. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/17 "2004-10-05T16:22:51Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > may he rest in peace. Hell, no—I think they should shoot his ashes into orbit. What better “burial” for him? If ashes could say, “whooo-_hooooo!!!_” ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-of-the-mercury-seven-is-dead-gordon-cooper-is-gone/267590/18 "2004-10-05T16:25:14Z")
And I realize that **Santos L Halper** already noticed that… :smack: