Wally Funk, aviation pioneer and oldest person in space, dies at 87

Wally Funk, a pioneering aviator and the oldest person to travel to space, has passed away at 87. Funk was part of the Mercury 13 program in the 1960s, undergoing astronaut testing alongside the Mercury Seven but was not selected by NASA. She finally achieved spaceflight in 2021 aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard, becoming the oldest person to do so at 82, a record later surpassed. Throughout her career, Funk amassed over 19,600 flight hours, served as the FAA's first female inspector, and was inducted into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame. AI

RANK_REASON Obituary of a notable figure in aviation and space travel history.

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• Alan Shepard
• Blue Origin
• Ed Dwight
• Federal Aviation Administration
• Grapevine
• John Glenn
• Mercury 13
• Mercury Seven
• Nasa
• National Transportation Safety Board
• New Shepard
• Texas
• Wally Funk
• William Shatner
• Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame

• other

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