DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF News) — Roanoke, Texas, resident Wally Funk is ready to claim a first in world history that she hoped to have achieved nearly sixty years ago. She’s about to become the first octogenarian and the oldest person in history to rocket into space. Sixty years ago she was one of the first women admitted to NASA’s astronaut training. She was as highly qualified as the celebrated men in the program, men like Alan Shepard, Scott Carpenter and John Glenn. The one qualification she did not have was male genitalia.
“They said, ‘Well, you’re a girl, you can’t do that.’”
Now, at 82 years of age, Wally Funk has been selected to fly with Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos three weeks from now for a 10 minute ride aboard a rocket called New Shepard, in honor of Mercury 7 astronaut Alan Shepard, the first American sent to space in 1961.
According to WFAA, Funk was among the so-called Mercury 13 women trained by NASA but denied an opportunity to actually blast-off. It wasn’t until 1983 that Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. Now, Funk will become the oldest person to make the trip, beating the late John Glenn by five years.
Funk was selected as a space program pioneer and for her lifelong career in aviation; she was the first female inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration and the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board.
“No one has waited longer,” Bezos said via Instagram. “It’s time. Welcome to the crew, Wally. We’re excited to have you fly with us on July 20th as our honored guest.”
Wally gave the Amazon CEO a big bear hug.
