At 82, Wally Funk will be the oldest person to be launched into space
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Today, 82-year-old aviator Wally Funk became the oldest person to reach space when she flew with Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos in his Blue Origin spacecraft.
The pair - along with Bezos’ brother Mark and 18-year-old Oliver Daemen flew a suborbital arc more than 100 km (62 mi.) inside the rocket ship, New Shepherd.
As the first female air-safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and the first female inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Funk has definitely earned her seat on the space flight.
Funk has always dreamed of going into space, and was accepted onto the Woman in Space program as a hopeful 22-year-old.
The program’s aim was to find out whether women were as capable of coping with spaceflight as men and the program found they were.
Despite Funk graduating at the top of her class, she never got the chance to fly to space due to the program being cancelled and instead has to watch as NASA’s men astronauts were sent on missions.
But Funk remained resolute in her determination and applied to NASA in 1979, when it announced it was accepting female astronaut candidates.
She applied a total of four times but sadly missed out each time, her age may have been a contributing factor as she was 40-years-old at the time of applying.
After years of setbacks, Funk decided if she couldn’t go up to space as an astronaut then going there passenger was the next best thing.
In 2010, she put a deposit down on a seat on Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic spacecraft, just in case it ever flew.
And it did, on July 11 Branson pipped Bezos at the post by launching his Virgin Galactic spacecraft and travelled to the edge of space.
Branson may beaten Bezos but the Amazon founder was the first in queue to get Funk on board with him for Blue Origin’s inaugural flight.
It was last month that Funk’s wish finally came true when Bezos asked her in person if she wanted to join him.
In a clip shared online, Bezos asked Funk what her first words would be when she landed.
“I would say, ‘Honey, that’s the best thing that ever happened to me!” as she embraces Bezos for a hug.
People on Twitter are loving Funk’s incredible story as she finally fulfilled her dream after waiting for six decades.
It appears people are more excited about Funk than Bezos as her name is trending on Twitter.
British astronaut Tim Peake praised Funk and shared her story with his followers.
The talented & irrepressible Mary Wallace ‘Wally’ Funk was among a group of female pilots selected in the 1960s to undergo astronaut testing. Despite passing with flying colours the Mercury 13 program was canceled & Wally never got her chance to go to space …. until now! 1/2 pic.twitter.com/plIe1vHmWa
— Tim Peake (@astro_timpeake) July 17, 2021
The National Air and Space Museum also wrote about Funk’s remarkable journey.
Wally Funk learned to fly at age 16. She has dedicated her life to flying and promoting aviation, but always had her sights set higher — space. Now, 60 years after excelling in the Lovelace astronaut fitness testing program, she is finally headed to space. https://t.co/hTatRtIt3u
— National Air and Space Museum (@airandspace) July 17, 2021
While others shared their excitement at Funk finally going into space.
I want to be Wally Funk when I grow up x https://t.co/Dol1qefZu0
— Lorraine (@reallorraine) July 20, 2021
YO WALLY FUNK IS GOING TO SPACE TOMORROW.
— Maki Thee Martian (@Astro_Eustice) July 20, 2021
Ahead of Wally Funk’s history making flight on #BlueOrigin New Shepard, I re-read Mercury 13. What an incredible story of courage and determination! Glad to see her finally fly!
— Wayne Hale (@waynehale) July 20, 2021
Ya'll can say whatever you want about sub-orbital tourism but tomorrow Wally Funk goes to space and I'm freakin pumped for her. pic.twitter.com/Df4cbug1Ei
— TJ Cooney 🚀 (@TJ_Cooney) July 19, 2021
Some have even dubbed today as “Wally Funk Day” in celebration of her remarkable achievement at the age of 82.
Happy Wally Funk Day everyone! 🚀💙
— Emily Calandrelli (@TheSpaceGal) July 20, 2021
Celebrate THIS today 😍 It's Wally Funk Day. https://t.co/yNLvYzJ07v
— Dr. Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) July 20, 2021
Today is her day! 💙🚀 #WallyFunk pic.twitter.com/QiRvzbblCC
— Nicol Caplin (@DrCaplin) July 20, 2021
I'm also declaring this #WallyFunk Day.
— Heather D. Smith (she/her) (@TheHeathernaut) July 20, 2021
That's it.
Send Tweet.
Photo Credit: @WallyFunksSpace #NSFirstHumanFlight pic.twitter.com/BdZOLrZRIZ
