[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 23241-23242]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE LATE GORDON COOPER, JR., ASTRONAUT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. NICK LAMPSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 7, 2004

  Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I salute Gordon Cooper, Jr. on behalf of 
the Ninth District of Texas and the Johnson Space Center community.
  Gordon Cooper leaves in his legacy 225 hours and 15 minutes of human 
spaceflight; a 1965 endurance record aboard the first mission to spend 
191 hours in space; even designation as the first astronaut to sleep in 
orbit. He is remembered as Air Force colonel, Astronaut, husband, 
father of four girls, and a man who at 71 years old said, ``I get 
cranky if I don't fly at least three times a month.''
  Gordon Cooper's missions stretched the limits of human circumstance. 
He brought an aspiring spirit, determination, composure in tough 
circumstances and proven endurance to meet some of the loftiest 
challenges of his time.
  Mr. Speaker, my constituents today carry on the mission begun by our 
space pioneers. I salute Gordon Cooper and hope his family may take 
comfort in the living merits of his achievements.

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