Vale Gordo Cooper 1927-2004

Another of the Original Mercury 7 astronauts has died

Gordon "Gordo" Cooper has died aged 77, at his home in Ventura, California.

Gordon Cooper was an Air Force test pilot who joined the space programme in 1959, and became the last of the Original 7 astronauts to orbit the Earth in 1963 in the Mercury capsule. He belonged to the breed of flying pioneers who had the "right stuff" immortalised by the 1983 movie, in which he was portrayed by Dennis Quaid. Cooper famously went to sleep and snored while waiting for his launch to commence.

Now there are only three of that programme still alive: Wally Schirra, Scott Carpenter and John Glenn.

Perhaps not as well known was Cooper's manual re-entry after his computer clock decided to pack up, and he relied on John Glenn to talk him down over the radio. He also created a record for the longest time in orbit with Pete Conrad a year later.

Vale Gordo, and Bon Voyage.