Trudy Cooper is the wife of Gordo Cooper, though they eventually divorce. She has an independent personality and is passionate about women's rights, and is also a registered pilot and owner of a courier service.
Trudy Cooper |
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|---|---|
 |
|
| Information | |
| Full name |
Trudy B. Olsen Cooper |
| Born |
February 19, 1927 |
| Hometown |
Seattle, Washington |
| Resides |
Houston, Texas |
| Occupation |
licensed pilot |
| Family |
Gordon Cooper (husband) |
| Romances |
Gordo Cooper |
| Friends |
Rene Carpenter |
| Affiliations |
NASA |
| Production | |
| First seen |
"Launch" |
| Last seen |
"Landing" |
| Actor |
Odette Annable |
Biography[]
Trudy was born in February, 1929, in Seattle. When she met Gordo at the University of Hawaii, she was already a pilot herself. They got married in Honolulu, in August 29, 1947.
However, Gordo cheated on her, and Trudy left him, after 12 years of marriage, shortly before the astronaut selection process begun, in January 1959. After Gordo's selection for the Mercury seven, he asked Trudy to pretend they were still married, because NASA required him to have a "loving wife", and she agreed to help him for the sake of his career.
Mercury[]
In episode 1, "Launch", the Coopers are at a party hosted by LIFE magazine. Trudy and Gordo dance, until Gordo inches his way up Trudy's leg, prompting her to reveal that copping a feel isn't part of their “deal.”
Later, when the wives are talking, Trudy declares her husband has no competition when it comes to which astronaut is "going up" first.
When the wives gather to take the photo for LIFE, Trudy tells Marge that if NASA wants astronauts with a perfect marriage, that's exactly what they will get from the Coopers, and that even being annoying and an idiot, Gordo deserves to be in the program. They also discuss Trudy's desire to go to space, to which Marge says "Pigs will fly to space before a woman does."
A few weeks later, Trudy is talking to Gordo on the phone, when she hears Alan Shepard asking Gordo to switch rooms because he had a double bed. She hung up the phone, and called Mr. Porter, asking him for the wives to go to Cabo and watch the Mercury test launch, to which he agreed.
The day after their arrival to Cabo, Marge, Trudy and Betty are talking about Louise and Alan, when Marge accidentally reveals Trudy's secret: when Gordo volunteered to the program, they were already signing the divorce papers, when he asked her to come back, for his career. She says that she'll never forgive or forget what he did.
Before Alan's flight, Gordo and Trudy are talking on the phone, and he tells her that he is doing the countdown of the launch. He also tells her he misses her, and their conversations.
At the end of the episode, Louise goes to Trudy's house to apologise, and later the other wives join them.