[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 847 Engrossed in House (EH)]
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
November 19, 2004.
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, 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 House of Representatives honors the life of astronaut
Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr.
Attest:
Clerk.