North Texas aviation pioneer Wally Funk dies, aged 87
Summary
Wally Funk, a pioneering female pilot and the oldest woman to travel to space, has died at age 87 in Grapevine, Texas. She was part of the Mercury 13 program in the 1960s and flew to space in 2021 with Blue Origin's New Shepard mission.Key Facts
- Wally Funk was born on February 1, 1939, and lived in Grapevine, Texas.
- She was selected for the Mercury 13 program in 1961, undergoing the same tests as NASA astronauts.
- Despite her qualifications, women were not allowed to join NASA astronauts during her early career.
- Funk became the first female flight instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the first female inspector for the FAA.
- She trained over 3,000 pilots and logged more than 30,000 flight hours.
- In July 2021, at age 82, she flew to space on Blue Origin's New Shepard NS-16 mission, becoming the oldest woman in space.
- She received multiple honors, including induction into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame and Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame.
- Wally Funk died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, as announced by the city of Grapevine.
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