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Wally Funk, a North Texas aviation pioneer, has died. Here's how she broke barriers
CBS News • • nation
Key Points:
- Wally Funk, an aviation pioneer and the oldest woman to travel to space, died peacefully at age 87 in Grapevine, Texas, where she lived.
- Funk was a member of the Mercury 13 program in 1961, successfully completing the same tests as NASA's male astronauts but was barred from spaceflight due to gender restrictions at the time.
- She broke numerous barriers in aviation, becoming the first female flight instructor at Fort Sill, the first female FAA inspector, and the first female air safety investigator for the NTSB, training over 3,000 pilots and logging more than 30,000 flight hours.
- In July 2021, at age 82, Funk flew to space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard, becoming the oldest woman in space and the only Mercury 13 member to do so, describing the experience as "the greatest feeling."
- Funk received multiple honors, including induction into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame and Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame, with Blue Origin paying tribute to her enduring legacy inspiring future explorers.
