Wally Funk, Oldest Woman in Space, Dies at 87

Wally Funk, who achieved the distinction of becoming the oldest woman to travel into space in 2021, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 87. Her historic spaceflight occurred 60 years after she and 12 other female pilots pursued the same astronautical opportunities as NASA's initial male astronauts. Funk was the final surviving member of the First Lady Astronaut Trainees (FLATs), a group also known in the media as the Mercury 13. This collective comprised accomplished female pilots who volunteered to undergo the rigorous physical and psychological evaluations administered to the United States' first male astronauts.

Despite demonstrating performance levels equal to or exceeding those of their male counterparts during these tests, the Lovelace Woman in Space Program operated independently of NASA. A key requirement imposed by the space agency was that all astronauts must possess test pilot experience with jet flight time. However, the U.S. military at the time did not permit women to enroll in its flight training programs, effectively barring them from accumulating the necessary qualifications for NASA's astronaut corps. Funk's journey to space in 2021 aboard the New Shepard rocket with Blue Origin marked a significant personal achievement and a symbolic victory for the Mercury 13, who were pioneers in advocating for women's inclusion in space exploration.