Cooper never flew in space after Gemini 5. The men and missions of Project Mercury established that America could place a person in orbit, that he could survive in space and that he could return successfully. Project Mercury established a foothold for America in the space race and paved the way for Projects Gemini and Apollo. As of May 2001, Mercury astronauts Glenn, Carpenter, Schirra, and Cooper are still alive, although retired from space endeavors. Inc. All rights reserved.
Meteors burn up when they hit the earth's atmosphere.