On this episode of Dave Does History, we climb aboard Faith 7 with astronaut Gordon Cooper for the final mission of Project Mercury.

Launched on May 15, 1963, Mercury-Atlas 9 pushed the limits of solo spaceflight as Cooper orbited the Earth 22 times over 34 hours. When systems failed, he did not panic—he calculated reentry by hand and brought it home with calm, cowboy confidence. It was a mission built on grit, skill, and something deeper: faith.

Join us as we explore the story of a man, a machine, and a moment that helped define America’s path to the stars.