Wally Funk

Wally Funk
Wally Funk in 2012
Born(1939-02-01)February 1, 1939
Las Vegas, New Mexico, U.S.
DiedJuly 8, 2026(2026-07-08) (aged 87)
Grapevine, Texas, U.S.
Known forFirst female FAA and NTSB inspector; one of the Mercury 13; oldest person in space.
Space career
Mercury 13 and Blue Origin astronaut
Time in space
7 minutes
MissionsBlue Origin NS-16

Mary Wallace "Wally" Funk (February 1, 1939 – July 8, 2026) was an American aviator and Goodwill Ambassador. She was one of the Mercury 13, and was the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, the first civilian flight instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the first Federal Aviation Agency inspector.

On July 19, 2021 Blue Origin successfully made its first human test flight, with Funk, Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark and 18-year-old Oliver Daemen going to space. She became the oldest person ever to go to space.

Funk died at her home in Grapevine, Texas on July 8, 2026 at the age of 87.

References

  1. ↑ "Advancing Women Pilots | Women Pilots Today | Wally Funk (The..." The Ninety-Nines, Inc. Retrieved 2016-04-21.
  2. ↑ "Jeff Bezos launches to space aboard New Shepard rocket ship". BBC News. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Replay - New Shepard First Human Flight". YouTube. July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  4. ↑ Machemer, Theresa. "Trailblazing Pilot Wally Funk Will Go to Space 60 Years After Passing Her Astronaut Tests". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2021-07-20.
  5. ↑ Foust, Jeff (20 July 2021). "Blue Origin launches Bezos on first crewed New Shepard flight". SpaceNews. Retrieved 20 Jul 2021.
  6. ↑ Ablon, Matthew (9 July 2026). "Wally Funk, a North Texas aviation pioneer, has died. Here's how she broke barriers". CBS News. Retrieved 9 July 2026.
  7. ↑ Valverde, Tina (9 July 2026). "Grapevine's Wally Funk, who went to space, has died at the age of 87". WFAA. Retrieved 9 July 2026.