Gordon Cooper, NASA Mercury Pioneer, Dies

[No2W2004]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=10&u=/ap/obit_cooper



LOS ANGELES - Gordon Cooper, who was the youngest and perhaps cockiest member of the original seven Mercury astronauts and set the space endurance record that helped clear the way for the first moon landing, has died. He was 77.

The death of Cooper came the day that privately built SpaceShipOne broke through the Earth's atmosphere for the second time in five days, capturing a $10 million prize aimed at opening the final frontier to tourists.

"Gordon Cooper's legacy is permanently woven into the fabric of the Kennedy Space Center (news - web sites) as a Mercury Seven astronaut," said center director Jim Kennedy. "His achievements helped build the foundation of success for human space flight that NASA and KSC have benefited from for the past four decades."

[aquart]

1. Genuine hero.

One of the people who went forward while the rest of us hung back. Who ventured into a true unknown.

We owe them all.

[VOX]

4. True. Well said, aquart.

These guys were the real McCoy.

[qnr]

2. Enjoy your journey Gordo, wherever it takes you.

Thanks for being an outstanding member of an organization that has brought so much hope, awe, joy and grief to my life.


On a side note, is it just me, or are there a lot of 77-year-olds dying recently?

[blackcat77]

3. If you weren't alive back then...

...you can't imagine what heroes the astronauts were. "The Right Stuff" gives a hint, but nothing could compare to the real thing. I still remember how the teachers at my grade school would bring in televisions for us to watch whenever there was a flight.

Thanks for everything, Gordo!

[underpants]

5. Gordo!

Thanks and bless you and your family.

[No2W2004]

6. kick for Gordo

[pmbryant]

7. We'll miss him.

:-(

Peter