Wally Funk, the pioneering aviator and oldest woman to travel to space, died Wednesday night in Grapevine, Texas, at age 87, surrounded by loved ones, the city confirmed.
Funk, a member of the Mercury 13 program in the 1960s, spent more than seven decades in aviation. She was rejected four times by NASA when the agency shuttered its women’s program, but she never abandoned her dream of becoming an astronaut.
That dream finally came true on July 20, 2021, when she flew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard NS-16 mission alongside Jeff Bezos. At 82, she set a Guinness World Record as the oldest woman to reach space. “No one has waited longer,” Bezos wrote on Instagram, calling her an “honored guest.” “It’s time. Welcome to the crew, Wally.”
Funk’s career spanned decades as a flight instructor and FAA safety inspector, but her legacy is tied to the Mercury 13 — a group of women who trained for spaceflight in the 1960s but were sidelined by NASA’s gender restrictions. Her persistence became a symbol of the long fight for women in aerospace.
Her journey to space came after a lifetime of setbacks. In 1961, she volunteered for the Woman in Space Program, passing the same rigorous tests as the Mercury astronauts. But NASA canceled the program, and Funk was denied a chance to fly. She later said the rejection fueled her resolve.
The flight with Blue Origin was not just a personal triumph but a moment of reckoning for the space industry. It highlighted how private companies like Blue Origin have opened doors that government agencies once closed. NASA’s own struggles with new programs have made such private missions increasingly significant.
Funk’s death comes as the space sector faces a generational shift. Artemis II astronaut Jeremy Hansen recently stepped down from the Canadian Space Agency, and Quantum Space’s IPO gains traction with ex-NASA chief Bridenstine at the helm. Funk’s story reminds the industry that determination can outlast bureaucracy.
Her legacy is a testament to the power of perseverance. As the oldest woman to fly to space, she proved that some dreams take a lifetime to realize — but they are worth the wait.
