[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 24028]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING THE LIFE OF ASTRONAUT LEROY GORDON COOPER, JR.

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 470, which was 
submitted earlier today by Senator Inhofe.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 470) honoring the life of astronaut 
     Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to 
reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to 
this matter be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 470) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              S. Res. 470

       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 the 7 original Project Mercury astronauts helped to 
     inspire generations of scientists and engineers;
       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 Senate honors the life of astronaut 
     Leroy Gordon Cooper, Jr.

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