Wally Funk

Wally Funk
Funk in 2012
Born (1939-02-01) February 1, 1939 (age 85)
Las Vegas, New Mexico, U.S.
Alma materStephens College Oklahoma State University
Known forFirst female FAA and NTSB inspector; one of the Mercury 13; oldest woman to fly in space
Space career
Commercial Astronaut
Flight time
10m 18s
SelectionBlue Origin
MissionsNS-16

Mary Wallace Funk (born February 1, 1939) is an American aviator, commercial astronaut,[1][2] and Goodwill Ambassador. She was the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, the first female civilian flight instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the first female Federal Aviation Agency inspector, as well as one of the Mercury 13.[3][4]

Funk became the oldest person to go to space on July 20, 2021, at age 82, flying on Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft during its suborbital flight, breaking a record held by John Glenn for 23 years.[5] Her record would stand until later that year when William Shatner's flight took place on October 13; Shatner was age 90 at the time. Funk continues to hold the record for the oldest woman to travel to space.

Funk is the last surviving member of the Mercury 13 group.[6] She is also the only one of the thirteen to have traveled to space.

  1. ^ Fisher, Kristin (December 10, 2021). "First on CNN: The US gives Bezos, Branson and Shatner their astronaut wings". CNN. Retrieved December 10, 2021. The US government is making it official, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and William Shatner have earned the title of astronaut after their flights to the edge of space. The Federal Aviation Administration will also award Commercial Space Astronaut Wings to 12 other people who have flown at least 50 miles above Earth on a FAA licensed commercial spacecraft, including the crew of SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission. The FAA will award wings to eight people who flew on Blue Origin's New Shepherd spacecraft, three who flew on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, and to the four members of the SpaceX crew who spent three days in space in September.
  2. ^ "FAA Commercial Human Spaceflight Recognition". Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Stolley2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Saner2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference sn20210720 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "Longtime friend of Wally Funk recalls trailblazer's dream of space flight". July 20, 2021.