Wally Funk

Wally Funk, born on February 1, 1939, is a pioneering American aviator and commercial astronaut whose remarkable career spans decades in aviation and space exploration. As a trailblazer, she became the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board and the first female civilian flight instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Additionally, Funk made history as the first female Federal Aviation Administration inspector, showcasing her dedication to advancing women in aviation.

Funk's journey into the cosmos reached a historic milestone on July 20, 2021, when she became the oldest person to travel to space at the age of eighty-two. She flew aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft during its suborbital flight, breaking a record that had stood for twenty-three years, previously held by John Glenn. Although her record was surpassed later that year by William Shatner, who was ninety at the time, Funk remains the oldest woman to have ventured into space.

As the last surviving member of the Mercury 13 group, Wally Funk holds a unique place in the annals of space history. She is the only one of the thirteen women who underwent rigorous testing for NASA's early astronaut program to have actually traveled to space. Her contributions to aviation and her role as a goodwill ambassador continue to inspire future generations of aviators and explorers.