Wally Funk, Aviation Pioneer and Oldest Woman in Space, Dies at 87
Quick Look
- Wally Funk, an aviation pioneer and the oldest woman to travel to space at age 82, has died at 87.
- She passed away in Grapevine, Texas, after recent falls and an infection.
- Funk was among the first female pilots to undergo astronaut testing in the 1960s and finally reached space in 2021 on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket.
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Why It Matters
Wally Funk was an aviation pioneer who was among the first female pilots to undergo astronaut testing in the early 1960s but did not go to space. In 2021, at age 82, she finally flew into space on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket, becoming the oldest person to do so at the time.
GRAPEVINE, Texas -- Wally Funk, an aviation pioneer who was the oldest woman to launch into space, has died. She was 87.
Funk died Wednesday at her apartment in an assisted living facility in the Dallas and Fort Worth suburb of Grapevine, Texas, Grapevine City Councilwoman Duff O'Dell said Thursday. O'Dell, who described herself as Funk's caregiver, said she was by Funk's side. Funk had fallen a couple of times recently and had an infection in her leg.
“It took its toll,” O'Dell said in a phone interview.
Funk was one of 13 female pilots who went through the same tests as NASA’s all-male astronaut corps in the early 1960s but never made it into space. In 2021, she got her chance aboard Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket. At the time, the 82-year-old was the oldest person to go into space, though the record was later broken by “Star Trek” actor William Shatner and Ed Dwight, America’s first Black astronaut candidate. They were both 90.
Bezos chose Funk as an “honored guest” to ride alongside him and two others on an up-and-down hop from West Texas aboard his Blue Origin rocket.
“Wally Funk never stopped believing that one day she would reach space. Her passion for flight, perseverance, and love of exploration will continue to inspire generations of Americans. Godspeed, Wally,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted Thursday on X.
