Wally Funk, Aviation Pioneer and Oldest Woman in Space, Dies at 87

Wally Funk, an aviation pioneer who shattered gender barriers in aerospace and became the oldest woman to travel to space, has died at 87 in Grapevine, Texas. She passed away Wednesday at her apartment in an assisted living facility, with her caregiver, Grapevine City Councilwoman Duff O'Dell, by her side. O'Dell attributed her death to complications from recent falls and a leg infection. The City of Grapevine released a statement saying Funk "passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by those she loved."

Funk's groundbreaking life spanned six decades of fighting institutional barriers in aviation and space. In the early 1960s, she was one of 13 female pilots who underwent the same rigorous physical and psychological tests as NASA's male astronaut corps in the Mercury 13 program. Despite performing as well as or better than their male counterparts, the women were denied astronaut status because the U.S. military did not accept women into its flight programs and NASA required test pilots with military jet experience. Funk refused to abandon her dream of spaceflight, becoming the first female inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration and the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board.

Six decades after being denied her initial opportunity, Funk achieved her lifelong goal on July 20, 2021, when she boarded Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin New Shepard rocket at age 82. On the NS-16 mission, she became the oldest woman—and temporarily the oldest person—to reach space, completing a 10-minute suborbital flight. At a post-flight press conference, Funk expressed her characteristic optimism, saying, "I felt great! I want to go again, fast." She earned the FAA's Commercial Space Astronaut Wings, making her the 26th person to fly beyond 50 miles altitude and the 585th person to enter space. Though her record as the oldest person in space was later surpassed by actor William Shatner and astronaut candidate Ed Dwight, both 90, Funk remained the last surviving member of the Mercury 13.

O'Dell, who knew Funk well, described her as "the most eternally optimistic person" she had ever met. "She was told by many, many, many men, 'No, you can't do this. No you can't do that,' but she never got mad about it. She just was more determined," O'Dell said. Blue Origin released a statement calling Funk a "pioneer in every sense of the word," while NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman posted on X: "Wally Funk never stopped believing that one day she would reach space. Her passion for flight, perseverance, and love of exploration will continue to inspire generations of Americans. Godspeed, Wally."