", Related: How to watch Blue Origin launch Jeff Bezos into space on July 20 All of these women were pilots who had logged hundreds or thousands of flight hours in some cases more than the men who were selected for the astronaut program. While Funk was thwarted from her mission of becoming one of the first female astronauts in space, she will still make history with her flight. Ms. Funk, who goes by Wally, was one of 13 American women who went through a rigorous astronaut-training program in the 1960s to determine whether women were fit for space.Despite testing just as . Weitekamp also published a book on Mercury 13. Funk was a skilled outdoorswoman who enjoyed riding her bike or horse, skiing, hunting, and fishing. But among women and nonbinary people working in the study of space, the account of Ms. Funk and her cohort struggling to become astronauts and being blocked because of their gender has resonated. Denied 60 years ago, Wally Funk is finally going to space Jeff Bezos selected her to take part in first New Shepard crewed flight In this 2019 photo made available by NASA, Mercury 13 astronaut. At the same time, she represented the southwestern United States as the Top Female Skier in Slalom and Downhill races in US competition. When Wally is not flying an aircraft, she gets herself involved in other aspects of flying like ballooning, parachute jumping, and hang-gliding. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS By. She said, I cant tell people that are watching how fabulous I feel to be picked by Blue Origin to go on this trip.. Lovelace wanted to bring those 13 in for still more tests, this time at government facilities, but couldn't get approval. Wally Funks father owned a five-and-ten store in Taos, New Mexico, while her mother was an art enthusiast. Talking about this, Funk says. Wally Funks childhood fantasy of traveling to space was triggered when she stumbled upon an article while reading Life magazine. (Collins invited Funk and others who underwent Lovelace's tests to watch the launch. Nelson recalled the conversation when she called to congratulate her friend in an interview with Space.com. And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. At Stephens College, she was required to fly 100 miles as part of her flying training. [4] Twenty-five women were invited, nineteen enrolled, and thirteen graduated, including Funk, who at 21 was the youngest. '"[4][8] She became interested in mechanics and built model airplanes and ships. During her stay at Stephens College, Wally became so involved in flying that once her adviser called up her mother and said, Mrs. Funk, your daughters not doing too well in her subjects. The money for the flight came from Funk's own book and film royalties and family money. Wally Funk pictured at a ceremony in Las Cruces, New Mexico for the first landing of the Virgin Galactic VSS Enterprise, October 22, 2010. Wally Funk has never given up on her dream of spaceflight, said Margaret Weitekamp, curator of the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museums space history department. She said, When I was sent to Stephens College aviation program, I hadnt even graduated from High School yet. In an interview, Funk recalled picking up her parents while flying through the countryside. In the 2010s, she bought a ticket on Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo. And in 1995, Eileen Collins became the first woman to command a shuttle mission. I was brought up that when things dont work out, you go to your alternative, she said. Across the board, the women who passed that initial round of testing did as well or better than their male counterparts, and of that group, Ms. Funk excelled. Wally Funk was a member of the Flying Susies at Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, where she was the last one to receive her pilots license. Wally Funk Aviation Career. [4] At the same time she represented the southwestern United States as Top Female Skier, Slalom and Downhill races in United States competition. On August 16, 1975, Wally participated in the Palms to Pines All Women Air Race from Santa Monica, California to Independence, Oregon in which she stood 2nd. "I just got a lump in my throat and tears welled up." On the other hand, her individually being granted this opportunity does nothing to address any of the reasons she was previously excluded from going to space, and in fact still poses a man of great privilege this time specifically Jeff Bezos as the gatekeeper for her access to space, access which she already earned and deserves.. [9], Funk moved on to complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education at Oklahoma State University. I just believed it would come, she said. She was told she would never walk again. Later, she traveled to Nevada, Arizona, and California, where she inspected flight schools and air taxi operations. The family had a collection of artwork from artists at the Taos art colony, as the artists would trade artwork to pay off their debt at the store. (brother Dave's full video here: https://t.co/oqFZQDV7gD) pic.twitter.com/XKJxgTcDPG, Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) July 19, 2021. Wally Funk is one of the Mercury 13, a group of women who trained to be astronauts in the early 1960s. The article entitled A Lady Proves Shes Fit for Space Flight, which was published on August 29, 1960, described a series of terrifying endurance tests that aviator Geraldyn Jerrie Cobb had just successfully completed; these tests were designed to test the aspiring astronauts. She said, My mother passed the flying gene down to me. [12], After the Mercury 13 program was canceled, Funk became a Goodwill Ambassador. Talking about this, she says. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. She was the first woman to work as a field examiner for the FAA for four years. Funk and the others were skilled pilots who, like their male counterparts, dreamed of flying even higher, to space. [3], As a child, Funk was captivated by planes. But Funk laid the groundwork for this flight during a brief period six decades ago, when she became one of the group that was, decades later, dubbed the Mercury 13 and is often misleadingly portrayed as a sort of women's counterpart for NASA's first group of astronauts, although the agency never endorsed their efforts and only began recruiting women for spaceflight in 1978. Aviation News Illustrated, the Oklahoma State Alumnus magazine, has featured Wally Funk on its front cover. In addition to scholarly publications with top presses, she has written for Atlas Obscura and Ranker. She became the first female safety inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration and continued to rack up flight hours, topping out at more than 19,000 hours. On the one hand, I am thrilled for her that she is getting to live this dream she has held for so long, said Lucianne Walkowicz, an astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. The space flight took place on Tuesday, July 20, 2021. [4] At OSU, Funk earned a large number of aviation certificates and ratings, including her Commercial, Single-engine Land, Multi-engine Land, Single-engine Sea, Instrument, Flight Instructor's, and all Ground Instructor's ratings. Whether you want to learn the history of a city, or you simply need a recommendation for your next meal, Discover Walks Team offers an ever-growing travel encyclopaedia. Wikimedia Commons. Funk contacted Lovelace, detailing her experience and achievements. The first round of exams included x-rays, intrusive physical exams, and a test where Wally had to swallow three feet of rubber tubes. Wally Funk, one of the First Lady Astronauts, in the cockpit of an AT-6 training plane in 1961. Reportedly, the program was scrapped because its private funding was pulled. It was 1961, and at the age of 22, Mary Wallace "Wally" Funk was the youngest of a group of 13 elite women pilots selected to undergo the same series of medical and psychological tests given to. [13] She made the discovery that people who die in small-plane crashes often have their jewelry, shoes, and clothes stripped off by the impact. Funk will be fulfilling a lifelong dream today by joining the Blue Origin flight crew. [9], In February 1961, Funk volunteered for the "Women in Space" Program. Jul 1, 2021, 7:01 AM PDT. On October 4, 1975, flying her red and white Citabria, Wally won the Pacific Air Race from San Diego, California, to Santa Rosa, California, against 80 participating competitors.[9]. [3], Concurrently, Funk participated in many air races. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! The young Funk was only a year old when she got her first glimpse of an airplane; her parents had taken her to an airport near their home in New Mexico, where she saw a Douglas DC-3, an early airliner. Ms. Jessen had to stop flying in 2017 because of macular degeneration, and Ms. Funk fought for 60 years to finally get her trip to space. In the video released with Blue Origin about her joining the flight, she said that she has racked up 19,600 flight hours on a variety of aircraft and has taught more than 3,000 people to fly. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. She was the first woman in the United States to be promoted to the FAA SWAP (Systems Worthiness Analysis Program) as a specialist in 1973. Seeing her finally get to go into space decades after proving that she was not only capable, but perhaps more capable than the men she was essentially up against during the Mercury program is so incredible, said Tanya Harrison, a planetary scientist and director of science strategy at Planet Labs. The U.S. government shut down the Woman in Space Program just as the Cold War space race was heating up. On December 9, 1974, she joined the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington, D.C. as Air Safety Investigator; Wally Funk was their first female Investigator. Although all 13 participants of Mercury 13 proved that they could endure extreme physical conditions, the program was shelved on the pretext that sending women into space was against the natural order, after its private funding was pulled and several prominent NASA figures lobbied against sending women astronauts into space. That year she soloed and had her pilots license at 17. But as much as I wholeheartedly support Bezoss decision to send Wally now, I still dont know if I like the new criteria any better.. Wally was so inspired by Cobbs achievements that she wrote letters to Cobb and Dr. William Randolph Lovelace; Dr. William was the one who devised the trials. Not only did they poke needles in me all the time, but tubes were poked down me and stuck up me, Funk remembers. [9][14] She applied to three commercial airlines but, like other qualified female pilots, was turned away because of her sex. While Valentina Tereshkova went to space for the Soviet Union in 1963, NASA would not fly an American woman to orbit until 1983. Mark Ralston/AFP via Getty ImagesWally Funk pictured at a ceremony in Las Cruces, New Mexico for the first landing of the Virgin Galactic VSS Enterprise, October 22, 2010. (The vehicle itself, of course, is dubbed for one of the group she so notably did not become, Alan Shepard, who became the first American in space with a suborbital flight on May 5, 1961.). Wally Funk is a prolific aviator who has displayed various aerobatic maneuvers in several womens air races including Powder Puff Derbys 25th Annual Race, Pacific Air Race, Palms to Pines Air Race in which she stood 8th, 6th, and 8th respectively. And while Funk has long held a ticket with Blue Origin competitor Virgin Galactic, Nelson said, the New Shepard model represents a different vision of spaceflight. ", Related:Meet the crew launching on Blue Origin's 1st astronaut flight on July 20. Carl Iwasaki/Getty ImagesIn 1961, Wally Funk underwent multiple tests of her physical fitness to prove that women could be astronauts. [12] Funk investigated 450 accidents, ranging from a probable mob hit to a fatal crash at a mortuary. While at OSU, Funk was a member of Alpha Chi Omega, Gamma Epsilon chapter. I am most interested in these tests to become an Astronaut, this has been ever since I learned to fly, she wrote in a letter to Dr. William Lovelace. [9] In 1987, Funk was appointed Chief Pilot at Emery Aviation College, Greeley, Colorado, overseeing the entire flight programs for 100 students from Private to Multi-engine flight Instructor and Helicopter ratings. Wally and the other female astronauts had to sit on the sidelines while the Soviets sent the first woman to space in 1963. Her score was the third best in the Mercury 13 program. Despite this, the program was canceled before the women were to undergo their last test. The six-hour mark passed and Wally continued to float peacefully. "There's some interest and then it doesn't necessarily have a direct legacy. The Mercury 13 were skilled pilots who trained to be a part of NASAs spaceflight program before women were allowed to participate. Wally spent years picturing herself as an astronaut even imagining takeoff. And from Nelson's description of calling to congratulate her friend on the invitation, Funk is conscious of the weight of history that she'll carry into the capsule. "There's a nice bit of poetic justice in including her on this flight. Funk received her Airline Transport Rating in 1968, making her the 58th woman in the United States to do so. According to Wally Funk, while she was undergoing her flying training at Stephens College, she would often pick up her parents while flying around the countryside as she was required to do 100 miles of flying. Through these letters, Wally expressed her desire to take these tests and go into space. How do we know how far away and early in the universe galaxies are? Additionally. And while some, like Funk, applied directly to NASA, it didn't make a difference. And when she tried to enroll in an engineering program, Wally was told, Youre a girl go to home ec.. "Her aim was to not only to just do it to the best of her ability, every test, but to try to do better than whoever had gone before her," Sue Nelson, a science journalist who later traveled with Funk to research her book, "Wally Funks Race for Space" (Chicago Review Press, 2019), told Space.com. Funk has been chief pilot for five aviation schools across the country. Ms. Funk donned a gas mask as part of training in 1961. She said. She joined Space.com in July 2018, with previous writing published in outlets including Newsweek and Audubon. I go right to the wheel and I try to turn the nut, Wally said. The article was called, A Lady Proves That Shes Fit for Space Flight.. When she applied to become a commercial pilot at TWA and Continental, she was turned down because they didnt have a ladys bathroom at the training facility, she told The Guardian. Wally Funk is unmarried (as of July 2021). First Republic secures $30 billion rescue from large banks Credit Suisse still has a fight on its hands despite $54 billion lifeline Meet Wally Funk, the 82-year-old pilot who just went to. Wally Funk Is Defying Gravity and 60 Years of Exclusion From Space, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/19/science/wally-funk-jeff-bezos.html. But on Tuesday, she. "I got a hold of NASA, four times, I said, 'I want to become an astronaut.' Katie Mack, an astrophysicist and assistant professor of astronomy at North Carolina State University, also spoke to the thrill of Ms. Funk going to space but also about who gets to make the decisions. Wally Funk is an American aviator and commercial pilot who became the oldest person to fly into space after accompanying Amazon founder. But, flying was my thing. Ms. Funk was in the tank for over 10 hours when the researchers finally brought her out because they wanted to go home. [9], She has over 18,600 flight hours[3] and as of June2019[update] still flew each Saturday as an instructor.[4]. Funk told CNN after returning to Earth, I loved every minute of it. Her aim was to not only to just do it to the best of her ability, every test, but to try to do better than whoever had gone before her, said Nelson, who traveled with Funk to research her book, Wally Funks Race for Space. She just is immensely driven and competitive, which is a sort of the typical early astronaut, test pilot type really she fits the mold of those early astronauts.. Wally has set aside a corner of her home in Grapevine for her collection of space and aviation memorabilia that she has collected over the years. When Blue Origins New Shepard rocket launched from remote West Texas on July 20, 2021, 82-year-old Wally Funk became the oldest passenger to travel into space. In 1965, Funk was selected as one of the Outstanding Young Women in America, "in recognition of her outstanding ability, accomplishments and service to her community, country and profession". Visit Ninety-Nines.org for a timeline of Wally's accomplishments. While Funks mission to become one of the first female astronauts in space was thwarted, her flight made history. For 40 years she has taught flying, both private and commercial, (she has 16,500 hours in the air and has soloed 800 student pilots), in addition, she became the first female investigator of the National Transportation Safety Board, The Guardian reported. An undated photograph of aviator Wally Funk. Related: As space billionaires take flight, 'the right stuff' for space travel enters a new era. The researchers also shot ice water into Wallys ears to induce vertigo. [5]The Guardian jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5273_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5273_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], }); Wally says, As a Flying Aggie, I could do all the manoeuvres as well as the boys, if not better., Wally Funk pushing an aircraft as a Flying Aggie at OSU. [3] The media dubbed the group the "Mercury 13", a reference to the Mercury 7. For Funk, with no spaceflight on the horizon, she set about traveling on Earth instead for a few years, then building a career as a pilot, flight teacher, and eventually investigating plane crashes and other safety issues for the government. [4] At nine, she had her first flying lesson. Including her on this flight is a nice bit of poetic justice.. I did what I had to do to fly., When I was sent to Stephens College aviation program, I hadnt even graduated from High School yet. Funk received the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) flight inspector rating in 1971. becoming the first woman to complete the FAAs General Aviation Operations Inspector Academy course, which includes Pilot Certification and Flight Testing procedures, as well as handling accidents and violations. In 1968, Wally Funk earned Airline Transport Rating, becoming the 58th woman in the United States to do so. "It was never a NASA project, it was really a privately funded investigation into women's physical capabilities for spaceflight," Weitekamp said. They sent me right into college and right into flying.. The 22-year old had to show that she could withstand the remoteness of space. [9] The National Rifle Association sent her incredible shooting results to the president, Dwight Eisenhower, and he wrote back to her. Wally Funk, one of the "Mercury 13" pilots who fought to open NASA's early astronaut program to women, will . Also in 2022, The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum awarded its Michael Collins Trophy to Funk for Lifetime Achievement. Together with Gene Nora Jessen, Funk is one of the last two surviving members of the Mercury 13 group. A TV show called What Will the Women Be Doing In The Year 2000? interviewed Wally in November 1973. Funk says it was a pivotal moment that inspired her to become a pilot. Wally Funk is finally going to space. On August 16, 1975, she placed second in the Palms to Pines All Women Air Race from Santa Monica, California, to Independence, Oregon. ! pic.twitter.com/vhGaMqqjnZ, Michael Sheetz (@thesheetztweetz) July 17, 2021. In 2012, filmed her life story for the Traveling Space Museum. They sent me right into college and right into flying., Mrs. Funk, your daughters not doing too well in her subjects. Wally Funk, 82, who was once barred from an astronaut career because she's a woman, became the oldest person ever to travel to space on Tuesday. [21][22][5] Her record would be surpassed later that year by William Shatner, who flew aboard Blue Origin NS-18 at the age of 90. Courtesy of Wally Funk. In 1958, Funk was rated first in her class of 24 flyers, when she graduated with an Associate of Arts degree and her pilots license from Stephens College. [10] Ms. Funk's trip to space with Jeff Bezos is reason to celebrate. [7]Ninety-Nines jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5273_1_7').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5273_1_7', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], }); In late November 1973, after returning to the FAA Academy, Wally took courses involving air-taxi, charter, and aviation rental businesses. At Albuquerque, Wally underwent five and a half days of training during which she had to ingest radioactive material and having icy water poured into her ears; these tests were similar to the tests taken on by the Mercury 7, NASAs first successful human space mission. It was nearly a half-century of waiting that Wally got an opportunity to realize her childhood dream of going into space. [12][15] She worked for four years with the FAA as a field examiner, the first woman to do so. ', READ NEXT: Oliver Daeman: Meet the 18-Year-Old Who Is Going to Space, Wally Funk: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Sixty-two years ago, NASA's Mercury Project . Ms. Funk flew at every opportunity, including sneaking out of a formal dance to go night flying. Wally Funk in an undated photo provided by Blue Origin. Jeff Bezos and pioneering female aviator Wally Funk emerge from their capsule after their flight aboard Blue Origins New Shepard rocket near Van Horn, Texas, U.S., July 20, 2021, I go right to the wheel and I try to turn the nut, and mother said: Shes going to fly., I was not an A student. As a teenager, Wally earned her flying license. Funk earned numerous aviation certificates and ratings while at OSU, including her Commercial, Single-engine Land, Multi-engine Land, Single-engine Sea, Instrument, Flight Instructor, and all Ground Instructor ratings. [16], Like the other participants in the program, Funk was put through rigorous physical and mental testing. . With 19,600 hours of flight time, Wally Funk has taught more than 3,000 people to fly, and she has also trained thousands of Private, Commercial, Multi-engine, Seaplane, Glider, Instrument, CFI, Al and Air Transport Pilots. On October 4, 1975, while flying her red and white Citabriashe, Wally became the winner among 80 participants in the Pacific Air Race from San Diego, California to Santa Rosa, California. In 1983, Wally watched as Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. Aviator Wally Funk in a video released to announce her participation in Blue Origin's first crewed flight on July 20, 2021. According to Blue Origins press release, Funk was the oldest person in space. Wally Funk next to a glide plane, c. 1960. Wally re-entered the FAA Academy in late November 1973 to take courses in the air taxi, charter, and aviation rental businesses. In 1961, Funk was among a group of . The researchers behind the test assumed no one could withstand an isolation tank for more than six hours. Wally also continued to work as a flight instructor, training hundreds of people to operate planes. Numerous books and movies have acknowledged Wally Funks role in the history of the space program like Martha Ackmanns 2003 history The Mercury 13: The True Story of Thirteen Women and the Dream of Space Flight and the Netflix documentary Mercury 13. She adds that When Wally flies, we all fly with her.. [10] Frustrated, Funk left high school early at the age of 16 and entered Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. She has probably spent more time in airplanes as a pilot than the three men she is going to space with have spent as airplane passengers. I did what I had to do to fly., The air and how pretty it was, and how the ground looked. Today, Funk will have a lifelong dream fulfilled as a member of the Blue Origin flight crew. But when she applied to become a commercial pilot at both TWA and Continental, she told The Guardian she was rejected, saying they couldnt hire her because they didnt have a ladies bathroom at the training facility.. Sgt. Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic crossed the 80 kilometer threshold, but has not been able to cross 100 kilometers, according to CNBC. Since then, she has logged 19,600 flight hours across her career. I first flew in a plane at eight, and by the age of 10 I had mother drive me out to an airstrip to study the planes parked there, Funk told The Guardian.

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