flew aboard Blue Origin's first crewed New Shepard mission
Wally Funk, a pioneering aviator, member of the Mercury 13, and the oldest woman ever to travel into space, has died, according to NASA.
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — Wally Funk, a pioneering aviator, member of the Mercury 13, and the oldest woman ever to travel into space, has died, according to NASA.
Funk was one of the youngest members of the Mercury 13, a group of highly skilled female pilots who, in the early 1960s, underwent the same demanding physical and psychological testing as NASA’s Mercury 7 astronauts.
The privately funded program demonstrated that women possessed the qualifications and abilities to meet the standards required for human spaceflight.
Throughout the testing process, Funk excelled, outperforming many of her peers and proving that women were equally capable of serving in the nation’s space program.
Despite their accomplishments, the Mercury 13 were never admitted into NASA’s astronaut corps and were denied the opportunity to fly during the early years of the U.S. space program.
Funk, however, never abandoned her lifelong dream of reaching space.
In July 2021, at the age of 82, she became the oldest woman ever to travel into space when she flew aboard Blue Origin’s first crewed New Shepard mission. She was also the last surviving member of the Mercury 13 and the only member of the group to ultimately make the journey to space.
Her historic flight served as a long-awaited recognition of the determination and perseverance she had displayed throughout her life, inspiring generations of women and future explorers.
In a statement honoring her legacy, NASA said it was saddened by her passing and recognized her lasting contributions to aviation and human spaceflight.
