Aviation Pioneer Wally Funk Dies at 87 After Pioneering Career and Historic Spaceflight

Wally Funk, a legendary figure in aviation and space history, died July 8 in Grapevine, Texas at age 87. From her early days in Taos, New Mexico dreaming of flight, Funk built a career marked by breaking barriers that limited women’s roles in aviation and space exploration for over seven decades. Her achievements spanned piloting, flight instruction, aviation safety investigation, and finally a historic trip to space at age 82 aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket.

Funk earned her pilot certificate as a college student at Stephens College in Missouri before enrolling at Oklahoma State University specifically for its competitive Flying Aggies program. At just 20 years old, she became the first female flight instructor at Fort Still, Oklahoma, teaching male student pilots. Her determination to excel in male-dominated environments characterized much of her early career and foreshadowed her later advocacy for women in aviation.

In 1961, Funk was selected as part of the privately funded Women in Space program, known today for the Mercury 13 women who underwent the same rigorous astronaut candidate testing as NASA’s male astronauts. At 21, she was the youngest participant despite being below the official minimum age. Among numerous tests, Funk endured over ten hours in a sensory deprivation tank to assess astronaut endurance.

Despite excelling in these physical and psychological evaluations, the Mercury 13 program never received NASA’s backing, and the women were never officially integrated into the astronaut corps. NASA instead chose the all-male Mercury Seven astronauts. Funk applied to NASA’s programs afterward but was repeatedly told she lacked the qualifications. It wasn’t until 1978 that NASA opened astronaut selection to women, by which time Funk was beyond their preferred age.

Funk also faced significant barriers in commercial aviation, as many airlines did not hire female pilots during her prime flying years. She instead earned her airline transport pilot certificate and contributed to aviation safety as the first female flight inspector for the FAA and the first female air safety investigator for the NTSB. Over 11 years, she investigated around 450 accidents and helped improve flight safety standards nationwide.

Throughout her career, Funk logged more than 19,600 flight hours and instructed over 3,000 students toward pilot certifications, firmly establishing herself as a mentor and leader in the industry. Her persistence and skill culminated in a historic spaceflight on July 20, 2021, when Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos invited her aboard New Shepard’s first passenger mission. At 82, she became the oldest person and the only Mercury 13 member to fly in space, reaching an altitude of 107 kilometers.

Funk’s spaceflight record for oldest person has since been surpassed, but her place as oldest woman in space remains. In 2022, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association honored her with the R.A. Bob Hoover Trophy, recognizing her outstanding career and mentorship.

Wally Funk’s story is one of relentless determination against systemic barriers in aviation and spaceflight. Though denied opportunities early on, she forged a path that ultimately affirmed her lifelong presence among the skies and stars. Her legacy endures not only in her pioneering accomplishments but in the doors she helped open for women pilots and astronauts.

Her passing marks the end of a remarkable journey that spanned nearly a century of aviation history, from trailblazing instructor to space traveler. Funk’s life remains a beacon for aspiring aviators and explorers who continue to push the boundaries of what flight can mean.