It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Gordon Cooper, astronaut and American hero, who passed away peacefully on October 4, 2004. He was 77 years old. Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma on March 6, 1927, Cooper attended the U.S. Naval Academy and received an aeronautical engineering degree from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology. After serving as a fighter pilot in the Korean War, he was selected as one of the original seven Mercury astronauts. He completed the longest and last Mercury mission, starting May 15, 1963, and completing 34 orbits around the Earth. In 1965, he flew his second space mission aboard the Gemini 5 spacecraft, which set a record for the longest space flight at that time. Cooper's distinguished contributions to the space race earned him many awards and commendations, including NASA's Distinguished Service Medal and the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. His legacy will continue to live on in the hearts of his family, friends and loved ones.