Wally Funk Becomes an Astronaut at Last

Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 02:29 PM ET

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Wally Funk took all of the tests to become an astronaut back in the 1960s. She became one at last on July 20, 2021. NASA photo

Key Takeaways:

Wally Funk, at 82, achieved her lifelong dream of spaceflight with Blue Origin, becoming the oldest astronaut, after a career spanning decades in aviation.
She was a pioneering figure in aviation, earning her pilot's license at 16 and later becoming the first woman military flight instructor, FAA aviation safety inspector, and NTSB investigator.
Funk was a key member of the "Mercury 13," a group of women who excelled in astronaut testing in the 1960s but were denied the opportunity to fly due to gender barriers.
Throughout her life, she dedicated herself to mentoring and volunteering with various aviation organizations, inspiring future generations of pilots.

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She’s well known amongst women who fly as a spark of energy, a driven force, and a bit of an instigator. So, the fact that Wally Funk has now achieved her lifelong dream of flying beyond the Kármán Line and becoming an astronaut does not surprise those who know her in the slightest. We knew she would get there—by hook or by crook—and the elation she showed during the Instagram-posted invitation from Blue Origin’s Jeff Bezos was felt by her friends, and it was visceral. And it was only matched by the elation shown on her face as she stepped out of the New Shepard capsule back onto the Earth.

Wally Funk has spent the grand majority of her 82 years in aviation and in aerospace, starting when she first took an airplane ride at age 13 and continued on to earn her private pilot certificate when she was 16. Her mother was an inspiration to her—she herself went on a barnstorming flight in 1918, though she was talked out of aviation as a pursuit by Wally’s grandfather.