Gordon Cooper

CAREER

1945-1946: Served in US Marine Corps

1946-1949: Attended University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii

1949-1970: Served in USAF; (1950-1954) pilot 525^th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 86^th Bomber Group, Germany; (1954-1956) student AFIT; (1956-1957) student USAF Test Pilot School; (1957-1959) Test Pilot and aeronautical engineer, Flight Test Center, Edwards AFB, California.

ASTRONAUT ASSIGNMENTS

1959:   (09.04) Selected as one of ‘Original Seven’ Mercury astronauts by NASA; Mercury training; (Jul) speciality technical assignment – Redstone launch vehicle; Mercury training

1960:   Mercury training

1961:   Mercury training;

1962:   (Feb) Capcom MA-6 (Glenn); Mercury training; (May) Capcom MA-7 (Carpenter); Mercury training; (27.06) named BUp Pilot MA-8 (Schirra); Mercury training; (13.11) named Pilot MA-9 – 1 day mission; Mercury training

1963:   Mercury training; (15-16.05) flew as Pilot MA-9 (first US one day mission) 34 hr 19 min;

1964:   (08.07) CB technical assignment – Chief Apollo Branch Office;

1965:   (08.01) Named Command Pilot Gemini 5; Gemini training; (Mar) Capcom Gemini 3; Gemini training;  (21-29.08) flew as Command Pilot Gemini 5; set new endurance record (8 days), 168 hrs 22 min; (23.09) named Gemini Branch Chief, CB replacing Grissom;

1966:   (27.06) named BUp Command Pilot Gemini 12; Gemini training; (Jul) Capcom Gemini 10; Gemini training; (Nov) BUp Command Pilot Gemini 12

1967: (Nov) Chief AAP Branch Office;

1968:   (13.11) Named BUP Commander Apollo 10; Apollo training

1969:   Apollo training; (May) BUp Commander Apollo 10; expecting to rotate to the Command of Apollo 13; when offered the position of BUp Commander Apollo 13 and with no assurance he would Command Apollo 16, he refused; (03.10) named assistant for Space Shuttle Program, Flight Crew Operations Directorate (FCOD), NASA Manned Spacecraft Center.

1970:   Assistant for Space Shuttle Program, FCOD, MSC; (31.07) resigned from NASA and retired from USAF with rank of Colonel

SPACEFLIGHT RECORD

 POST ASTRONAUT EXPERIENCE

1970-1974: Gordon Cooper and Associates, Inc., an aerospace consulting firm

 1974-1980: Vice President Research and Development, Walter E. Disney Enterprises Inc.

 1980 - ?   : President X=L Inc. a firm developing alcohol-based aviation fuel; continued his passion for designing and testing new aircraft.

 2004: (Oct 4) Died in Ventura, California aged 77