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Author
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Topic: Gordo Cooper's third space flight...
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FFrench
Member Posts: 3002
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted December 01, 2005 05:07 PM
  
It's been made official: Mercury astronaut's ashes going to space Before his death a year ago, Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper wished he could have one more trip into outer space — and sometime next year, a little bit of his mortal remains will take that final trip, along with the ashes of a "Star Trek" star and more than 170 others.Suzan Cooper, the astronaut's widow, told MSNBC.com Thursday that her late husband's ashes will be included in a memorial payload to be flown on SpaceX's second Falcon 1 launch, now scheduled for liftoff during the first quarter of 2006 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. "In life, Gordon would have taken another trip into space ... so I figured, why not now?" Cooper said in a telephone interview from Ventura, Calif. And he'll be flying with James "Scotty" Doohan, no less... |
KC Stoever
Member Posts: 1008
From: Denver, CO USA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted December 01, 2005 06:45 PM
Thanks for posting the news, Francis. |
Jake
Member Posts: 444
From: Issaquah, WA U.S.A.
Registered: Jun 2002
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posted December 02, 2005 08:45 AM
Love the title of this thread...! |
carmelo
Member Posts: 749
From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted December 02, 2005 09:03 AM
So, at the last, Gordo back in space 41 years after GT-5. |
DavidH
Member Posts: 1170
From: Huntsville, AL, USA
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted December 02, 2005 09:37 AM
When I saw Cernan and Schmitt speak for the 30th anniversary of Apollo 17, Gene referred to Ron Evans' death as when he "left the Earth for the last time."In Gordo's case, that will be poetically literal. |
ASCAN1984
Member Posts: 946
From: County Down, Nothern Ireland
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted December 02, 2005 12:36 PM
I wonder how much it would cost to do that? |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3391
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted December 02, 2005 12:50 PM
quote:
Originally posted by ASCAN1984:
I wonder how much it would cost to do that?
Out of curiosity, I looked at their prices. For a 1 gram container, it's $995 to be placed in orbit. If you want to go to the moon or deep space, plan on spending $12,000+
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ASCAN1984
Member Posts: 946
From: County Down, Nothern Ireland
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted December 02, 2005 04:11 PM
Wow. That is very reasonable. |
spaceman1953
Member Posts: 840
From: South Bend, IN United States of America
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted December 02, 2005 07:21 PM
Yes, this thread title is exceptional!Cooper was the first astronaut I met in 1967 at the Grissom Air Force Base dedication in Peru, Indiana. I handed somebody a cover and this guy (in full, sharp military dress with sunglasses on, signed it and handed it back to me... "Gordon Cooper". I was just 14 years old, looked at the autograph and just wanted to die right then and there. Gosh, an ASTRONAUT, a real, live American hero for me! Never mind that my own father was a disabled American veteran of World War Two... this guy was an ASTRONAUT! Thanks for the memories! |
Moltke
Member Posts: 63
From: United Kingdom
Registered: Dec 2005
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posted December 05, 2005 01:44 AM
Susan Schonfeld, a spokesperson for Space Services Inc. said that the company has set up a website that will allow the public to write remembrances and these messages will go into space along with Gordo's ashes. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3002
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted December 09, 2005 11:54 AM
And if you read the messages already posted, you'll see very nice tributes by Cece Bibby and Dee O'Hara. |
spaceuk
Member Posts: 2112
From: Staffs,UK
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted July 26, 2006 07:33 AM
Astronaut Gordon Cooper's ashes and Star Trek's "Scotty" actor ashes to be launched into space and returned to Earth in October. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 23493
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted April 02, 2007 02:54 PM
From the Associated Press (via the Houston Chronicle): Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper and some 200 others were loaded into the rocket Friday by Charles Chafer, chief executive of Celestis, a Texas company that contracts with rocket firms to send cremated remains into space."And we're ready to go," Chafer said after inserting the silver canister. Jerry Larson, president of Connecticut-based UP Aerospace Inc., said the rocket will be launched April 28. |
ColinBurgess
Member Posts: 1417
From: Sydney, Australia
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted April 02, 2007 04:17 PM
To quote the movie of "The Right Stuff": "GO, HOT DOG!" |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 23493
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted April 27, 2007 11:21 PM
The launch of UP Aerospace's SpaceLoft XL on the SL-2 mission with Space Services' Legacy Flight including Gordon Cooper's remains is scheduled for Saturday, April 28. The launch window opens at 8:30 a.m. MDT and extends until 2:30 p.m. The suborbital launch will be staged from New Mexico's Spaceport America in Las Cruces. |
Outerspace
Member Posts: 35
From:
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted April 28, 2007 01:49 AM
Amazing how accurate today's reporters are. Using The Google and The Internets, they can discover information that none of us ever knew!"Actor James Doohan's remains, along with those of Apollo 7 astronaut Gordon Cooper and about 200 others, are aboard the second private rocket scheduled to be launched at Spaceport America. The commercial spaceport is being developed in Upham, New Mexico." |
stsmithva
Member Posts: 1082
From: Centreville, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted April 28, 2007 05:32 AM
As of 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time, that story (and that error) is still on CNN.com's main page. I just typed "Apollo 7" into my little Google window, and the very first site to come up is a KSC page about the mission, with the crew at the very top right. The next hit is Wikipedia, and even they have the crew correct. I've done some dabbling in journalism and usually admire it as a craft, but stuff like this just drives me crazy because I wonder how much they get wrong that I don't know about. |
Hawkman
Member Posts: 398
From: Union, New Jersey
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted April 28, 2007 09:34 AM
quote:
Originally posted by stsmithva:
As of 6:30 a.m. Eastern Time, that story (and that error) is still on CNN.com's main page.
It can be maddening. Even a six year old can find correct information these days. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 23493
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted April 28, 2007 10:58 AM
A successful third and final flight for Gordo... from the Associated Press: Suzan Cooper and Wende Doohan fired the rocket carrying their husbands' ashes. The rocket took off at 8:56 a.m. local time and disappeared into the atmosphere within 12 seconds.It landed at White Sands Missile Range shortly after. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3002
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted April 28, 2007 12:00 PM
God speed, Gordo. Of course, he dearly wanted to fly a third mission when at NASA, but never had the opportunity. So this seems like a very fitting last mission for him to get. |
divemaster
Member Posts: 1163
From: ridgefield, ct
Registered: May 2002
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posted April 28, 2007 03:08 PM
I wonder how quickly it changed from Mercury 7 Astronaut to Apollo 7 Astronaut?I was just driving home and they reported the story on CBS Radio. And, yes, they said "Apollo 7". Maybe Wally, Walt and Donn had him stowed in the lower equipment bay and no one noticed.
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divemaster
Member Posts: 1163
From: ridgefield, ct
Registered: May 2002
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posted April 28, 2007 03:08 PM
I just got an e-mail from Walt about this. He's hoping that they end up putting him [Walt] on Apollo 11.
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 23493
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted April 28, 2007 03:20 PM
This morning I e-mailed my colleagues at the Associated Press to notify them of the error. It should be noted that the person who wrote the articles was not one of their regular space reporters.I am not sure if it was my e-mail that had an effect, but I notice that their story has been updated to read: The cremated remains of actor James Doohan, who portrayed engineer "Scotty" on "Star Trek," and of Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper soared into suborbital space Saturday aboard a rocket. Of course, websites and other media sources need to recognize that there is an updated version before the correction will appear. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3002
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted April 28, 2007 04:02 PM
It appears that you can still add condolence messages at this site. The messages sent in to that site earlier, from people such as Dee O'Hara, Cece Bibby, and many regulars to collectSPACE, were I believe included on a CD that was sent on the flight. |
divemaster
Member Posts: 1163
From: ridgefield, ct
Registered: May 2002
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posted April 28, 2007 05:55 PM
NBC Nightly News [anchored by Lester Holt] just reported "Apollo astronaut Gordon Cooper", too. [sigh]
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FFrench
Member Posts: 3002
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted April 28, 2007 06:13 PM
He was an Apollo astronaut - Apollo 10 backup commander. So technically not incorrect. Although they were probably going on that incorrect "Apollo 7" information... but Gordo shares, with Schirra and Grissom, the distinction of being a Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronaut. |
divemaster
Member Posts: 1163
From: ridgefield, ct
Registered: May 2002
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posted April 28, 2007 07:06 PM
If we're going to be THAT technical, you can also include Shepard.  He and Stafford were supposed to be the first Gemini crew. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3002
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted April 28, 2007 07:23 PM
True... assigned, but never time to train before his ear condition pulled him off flight status again (two months later, I believe?). Hence my reluctance to include him, compared to the other three, who carried out their full assignments - or made the ultimate sacrifice.But yes, you've out-technicaled me here, Shepard could indeed be included in a wider interpretation... |
bruce
Member Posts: 802
From: Fort Mill, SC, USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted April 28, 2007 09:37 PM
quote:
Originally posted by divemaster:
NBC Nightly News [anchored by Lester Holt] just reported "Apollo astronaut Gordon Cooper", too. [sigh]
Francis is right about Gordo's Apollo 10 backup assignment. I'm just glad the news folks didn't try to interview the first moon walker, Lance Armstrong, for his comments on Gordo's final flight. Yeah... |
Machodoc
Member Posts: 203
From: VA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted April 29, 2007 12:19 AM
My wife and I met Gordo at the 2004 Burbank show and we are forever grateful that we had that opportunity since he died about 5 weeks later.He was very soft spoken but did get up and and speak to the assembled crowd in his hushed voice that evening. I'm just very grateful that I was able to meet him and to have our pix taken with the only person who admitted to taking a nap on the launch pad... |
Rob Joyner
Member Posts: 1245
From: GA, USA
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted April 29, 2007 12:25 AM
I saw the same "Apollo 7" error on the news crawler. Regardless that Gordo was technically an unflown Apollo astronaut, the news info should have stated the 'fact' that he did actually fly aboard Mercury 9/Faith7 and Gemini V.I'm pretty darn sure the reporters involved in this news item have absolutely no idea at all about NASA back-up crews and such. I can think of only two who might - CNN's John Zarrella & Miles O'Brien - but I didn't catch any of their commentary, if there were any. This particular launch was known to everyone for months & months in advance and to have very basic elementary info not included is just simply ridiculous, if not disrespectful. This fiasco shows the media really doesn't give a damn about anything but ratings, otherwise they would have done their homework, homework that was already done for them by people who care. Sad. Very sad. |
ringo67
Member Posts: 83
From: Seekonk, Mass., USA
Registered: May 2003
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posted April 29, 2007 01:55 AM
It's unfortunate that the AP writer got the information wrong, but, as a journalist myself, I can tell you that the people who write these small stories are hardly ever the beat reporters. My paper is located near Natick Labs in Massachusetts and anytime there is reference to the space program other editors know to run the story by me to make sure the facts are straight.A little over a year ago we did a Challenger special section (since Christa McAuliffe was born in our town) and I had to vette a boatload of copy, but fortunately, our writers did a great job of fact-checking. So, I only had to tidy things up a little. You are correct, though, so much information is freely available on the Internet that it really is amazing that mistakes like this still happen. Anyway, I'm glad to see Gordo and Scotty finally get their flight. |
Jack A. Kozak
Member Posts: 10
From: Akron, OH
Registered: May 2006
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posted April 29, 2007 12:07 PM
News reports leading up to the launch stated that the remains would be placed into orbit. Now it appears that the flight was sub-orbital, and all payload ashes came back to earth by parachute. It is also being reported that more of Doohan's ashes will be sent into orbit in December. |
yeknom-ecaps
Member Posts: 374
From: Northville MI USA
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted April 29, 2007 08:56 PM
Interesting to note that in all of the articles written on the launch there are NONE that show a picture of the launch itself... picture are of Gordo, "Scotty", or people there to view the launch. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3002
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted April 29, 2007 08:59 PM
quote:
Originally posted by yeknom-ecaps:
NONE that show a picture of the launch itself...
Here you go: Scotty and Gordo get a space send-off
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FFrench
Member Posts: 3002
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted May 12, 2007 09:50 AM
Sadly, it sounds like Gordo and Doohan's ashes have yet to be recovered from the landing zone.
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FFrench
Member Posts: 3002
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted May 15, 2007 02:53 PM
Looks like they are now getting closer to finding it, thank goodness. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3002
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted May 18, 2007 01:35 PM
And now, found, thank goodness. The rocket payload containing samples of cremated remains from "Star Trek" actor James Doohan, pioneer astronaut Gordon Cooper and 200 other dearly departed has been found in a surprising place, more than two weeks after its rise to - and fall from - outer space.Connecticut-based UP Aerospace, which launched the payload on its SpaceLoft XL rocket on April 28, had been looking for it in remote mountainous terrain within New Mexico's White Sands Missile Range. But it turned out that the payload actually came down in a flat area of the range, less than a mile from the rocket's aim point, said Jerry Larson, the company's president and a leader of the search team. |
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