When did Gordon Cooper die?

We lost a true space pioneer when Leroy Gordon “Gordo” Cooper Jr. passed away. One of the original Mercury Seven astronauts, Cooper died on October 4, 2004, at his home in Ventura, California. He was 77. The cause? Heart failure. Word is, he’d been battling heart problems and showing those telltale signs in the days leading up to his death.

Cooper wasn’t just any astronaut; he was a legend. Think about it: he piloted the sixth and final flight of Project Mercury back in May 1963, aboard the Faith 7 spacecraft. That made him the last American to orbit the Earth solo. Can you imagine the view? During that mission, he circled our planet 22 times, clocking in over 34 hours in space. Talk about a long ride! And get this – he was the first astronaut to ever catch some Z’s in space during that flight. A true trailblazer. Then, in August 1965, he commanded the Gemini 5 mission alongside Charles “Pete” Conrad Jr. They set a new endurance record, hanging out in space for almost 191 hours. That proved we could survive long enough for a trip to the Moon! Pretty important stuff.

Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on March 6, 1927, Cooper had quite the resume before he even joined NASA. He was an aerospace engineer, a test pilot, and a United States Air Force pilot. The guy had it all! He finally hung up his NASA and Air Force hats in 1970, retiring as a Colonel. A remarkable life, indeed.