[10] She graduated in 1958 with her pilot's license and an Associate of Arts degree. Jeff Bezos; his brother; a $28 million auction winner; and Wally Funk, an 82-year-year old aviator will go aboard first flight of New Shepard. Wally Funk as a child in Taos, New Mexico. As we move forward into the world where commercial spaceflight offers opportunities to go based, not on skills, but on the amount of money in ones wallet, we will have to continue to ask the question: Who is space is really for? On June 23, 1975, Wally Funk attended a luncheon at the White House in Washington, D.C.; she joined the luncheon at the request of Mrs. Gerald Ford. Wally didnt complain she wanted to go to space. The duration of the flight was 10 minutes (from its launch to capsule touchdown in the desert), and it reached a height of 107 km above the earth, while Richard Bransons trip to space and back lasted about 90 minutes from take-off to landing, which reached a height of 86 km. Born in New Mexico in 1939, Wally Funk says she has had a life-long love of aviation, taking her first flying lesson aged nine. 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. Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her on Twitter @meghanbartels. "It's poignant, she has waited a lifetime for this," she said. But NASA never sent her to space. And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. After passing these tests, 22-year-old Wally Funk joined Cobb and 11 other successful participants in the Mercury 13 program, a privately funded program that aimed to train women astronauts and send them into space. "I got a hold of NASA, four times, I said, 'I want to become an astronaut.' 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.. This is Carol Butler, and I'm doing an oral history for the NASA History Office, with Wally Funk, retired NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board] investigator, senior flight instructor, chief pilot, wonderful woman of aerospace. [9], In 1974, Funk was hired by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as its first female Air Safety Investigator. While working at the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington, DC., Wally Funk attended two schools for field investigators to learn the many elements contributing to airplane accidents and how to investigate them. Jul 1, 2021, 7:01 AM PDT. Genevieve Carlton earned a Ph.D in history from Northwestern University with a focus on early modern Europe and the history of science and medicine before becoming a history professor at the University of Louisville. 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. And then we get into weightlessness, and were floating.. 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.. Wally Funk. Funk was one of the Mercury 13, a group of 13 women. Sue Nelson, a science journalist who traveled with Funk, told Space.com that she called to congratulate her on her flight. Despite this, the program was canceled before the women were to undergo their last test. Sgt. I did everything that people didnt expect a girl to do, Wally said. It was probably all of 15 minutes., I was the last Flying Susie to receive my license., I was required to do 100 miles of flying so I would fly around the countryside and even pick up my parents., Wally Funks collection of space and aviation memorabilia. But NASA rejected Wally again. In an interview, Wally talked about this. Wally Funk next to a glide plane, c. 1960. Funk and the others were skilled pilots who, like their male counterparts, dreamed of flying even higher, to space. The program was run by William Randolph Lovelace, although it lacked official government sponsorship. Wally Funk first time experienced airplanes at the age of just one when she was taken to an airport near their residence in New Mexico by her parents, where she closely watched a Douglas DC-3, an early airliner. Wally Funk: Born in New Mexico in 1939, Funk has been flying professionally since 1957. I was given the gift of great confidence and born with the ability to fly., I go right to the wheel and I try to turn the nut, and mother said: Shes going to fly., The air and how pretty it was, and how the ground looked. Ms. Funks trip to space with Jeff Bezos is reason to celebrate. She had her first flight lesson at age nine, became a licensed pilot at 17 and has logged more than 19,000 flying hours. In an interview, she reminisced about her first experience with airplanes. Funk and the others were skilled pilots who,. In late November 1973, Wally Funk returned to the FAA Academy, where she underwent air-taxi, charter, and aviation rental businesses-related courses, and following this, Wally inspected flight schools and air taxi operations while traveling to Arizona, Nevada, and California. New York, The Blue Origin crew meeting up at the companys rocket barn in Texas: Wally Funk: Honey, I couldnt be better Im gonna be in that window! Then, in July 2021, Jeff Bezos invited 82-year-old Wally Funk to join him on a Blue Origin launch. She said, When I was sent to Stephens College aviation program, I hadnt even graduated from High School yet. [4], Funk was also an accomplished outdoorswoman, spending time riding her bike or her horse, skiing, hunting, and fishing. When Wally is not flying an aircraft, she gets herself involved in other aspects of flying like ballooning, parachute jumping, and hang-gliding. There have been numerous television and radio appearances by Wally Funk. At seven, Wally was building balsa wood planes. [4]Ninety-Nines jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5273_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5273_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], }); According to Funk, the reason behind attending Oklahoma State University (OSU) was that she was drawn to their famous Flying Aggies program. Wally Funk while participating in the Mercury 13 program. When she started flying at 16, she knew it would be a lifelong passion. Blue Origin, the company founded by Jeff Bezos, the worlds richest man and Amazons CEO in 2000, has been testing flights of its New Shepard rocket for years, according to CNBC. Wally Funk, who was five at the time, jumped from her fathers barn in Taos, New Mexico, while wearing a Superman cape. 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. Mary Wallace Funk (born February 1, 1939) is an American aviator, commercial astronaut, and Goodwill Ambassador.Wally Funk was a member of the Mercury 13, a group of skilled female pilots who were barred from participating in NASAs first space missions. Courtesy of Wally Funk. She wrote directly to the researcher behind the study, Randy Lovelace. Related:Blue Origin's launch with Jeff Bezos: Everything you need to know. 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. Wally Funk spent most of her childhood in Taos, New Mexico, where her parents owned a chain of shops. Funk says it was a pivotal moment that inspired her to become a pilot. A pilot gave Wally Funk her first flying lesson at age nine, letting her help steer the plane and telling her parents she did a great job. 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. An article profiled Jerrie Cobb, a female pilot undergoing NASAs astronaut tests. At Oklahoma State University (OSU), Wally Funk became an officer of the famous Flying Aggies, and she also flew for them in the International Collegiate Air Meets. Lovelace had designed NASAs astronaut tests and decided, on his own, to see whether women might make better astronauts than men. When Eileen Collins became the first female astronaut in 1995, Funk was on the launch pad cheering, Go Eileen. Wally was interviewed on Gene Burkes television program Salute of Women in Aviation in the fall of 1975. Funk once stated that she has never married and is married to airplanes. She stated in the interview that she had no resentment about being barred from spaceflight. Rather than floating in a dark tank of water, the men sat in a dark room with a pen and paper to keep them from getting bored. While at OSU, Funk was a member of Alpha Chi Omega, Gamma Epsilon chapter. Being a girl, Wally was only permitted to take courses such as home economics in high school; however, she wanted to take courses such as mechanical drawing and auto mechanics. As she was recovering, a guidance counselor suggested that she take aviation classes to distract her. 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. Obviously, as we can see with Wally Funks case, agencies like NASA can make bad choices, and choose to exclude people who would be excellent astronauts. Later this month, the 82-year-old pilot and flight instructor will finally head there. 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. [3], In July 2020 Funk published a memoir, Higher Faster Longer My Life in Aviation and My Quest for Space Flight with author Loretta Hall. Her first job was as a Civilian Flight Instructor for noncommissioned and commissioned officers of the United States Army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Wally Funk has appeared on various television and radio programs, giving interviews and interacting with professionals. Ms. Funk was in the tank for over 10 hours when the researchers finally brought her out because they wanted to go home. In 1973, when Wally was promoted as a specialist to FAA SWAP (Systems Worthiness Analysis Program), she became the first woman in the United States to hold this position. Cady Coleman, a NASA astronaut who served aboard the space shuttle and the space station, sees in the invitation a message to Ms. Funk and many more unsung women in space and aviation. 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 . A few months after passing the first round, Wally traveled to Oklahoma City for round two. The tests had been designed by Dr. Lovelace for the Mercury astronauts. Picture Courtesy of Sgt Jack Pritchard RAF Wikimedia Commons. Funk became a professional aviator at the age of 20. On July 1, 2021, Jeff Bezos announced through an Instagram post that Wally Funk would be part of a four-person crew set to be launched into space by Blue Origin on July 20, 2021. In 1961, pilot Wally Funk donned a one-piece bathing suit and entered a pitch black isolation tank. Picture Courtesy of Tech. But where the agency was focused on reaching milestones in space exploration, Lovelace had a bigger picture in mind, an ideal pulled from science fiction of whole offices lofted from 1950s America into orbit. Talking about this, Funk says. Reportedly, the program was scrapped because its private funding was pulled. The Real Wally Funk. On October 4, 1975, Wally Funk emerged as the winner of the Pacific Air Race from San Diego, California to Santa Rosa, California; she won the race against 80 participating competitors while flying her red and white Citabria. "I go right to the wheel and I try to turn the nut," she says. Meghan earned an MA in science journalism from New York University and a BA in classics from Georgetown University, and in her free time she enjoys reading and visiting museums. [9], At 20 years old, Funk became a professional aviator. Follow her on Twitter at @meghanbartels. Through these letters, Wally expressed her desire to take these tests and go into space. In 1961, three years before Jeff Bezos was born, Ms. Funk and 12 other women went through testing as part of the Woman in Space Program. "I just got a lump in my throat and tears welled up." According to Wally, her fascination for flying was so intense that she compromised with her formal studies and was never excellent at studies. Just as women were the secretaries and telephone operators on Earth, so too they would be in space, this line of thinking went, according to Weitekamp. According to Space.com, the women were named after Mercury 7, a group of seven male astronauts chosen by NASA for the Mercury program. Ultimately, Wally and twelve other women passed the same tests used by NASAs male astronauts. She adds that When Wally flies, we all fly with her.. She said. Wally Funk, 82, joins Bezos space flight Blue Origin From left: Mark Bezos, Jeff Bezos, Oliver Daemen, Wally Funk On this flight was the oldest person who has been to space - Ms Funk -. [2]Ninety-Nines jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_5273_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_5273_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], }); When Wally joined Stephens College, she hadnt even graduated from High School. Those tests were developed for NASA by a team led by William Randolph Lovelace and were designed to identify any weaknesses that might identify hidden health issues before flight. At takeoff, Ill be sitting way back in my seat, and Ill see things going by me, Wally explained. Happy travels! [12][15] She worked for four years with the FAA as a field examiner, the first woman to do so. 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. In 1975, Wally Funk was named Honorary Colonel by the Governor of Louisiana. Ms. Funk said that when she learned the program was canceled, she wasnt discouraged. Theres a nice bit of poetic justice in including her on this flight.. [3], As a child, Funk was captivated by planes. Ms. Funk donned a gas mask as part of training in 1961. She saw an article in Life magazine with a photo of a woman floating in an isolation tank, under the headline Damp Prelude to Space, and she immediately sent letters off to the woman, the doctors in the article and to the hospital that had run the test. Including her on this flight is a nice bit of poetic justice.. 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. [10] Frustrated, Funk left high school early at the age of 16 and entered Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. An undated photograph of aviator Wally Funk. NASA eventually came around on flying women, too late for Funk and the others. How to watch Blue Origin launch Jeff Bezos into space on July 20, Blue Origin's first astronaut launch updates, As space billionaires take flight, 'the right stuff' for space travel enters a new era, Blue Origin's launch with Jeff Bezos: Everything you need to know, Meet the crew launching on Blue Origin's 1st astronaut flight on July 20, Grab the Celestron Travel Scope 70 for under $100, How to watch SpaceX's 1st Starship space launch live online for free today (April 17), Watch the moon and Saturn have a close encounter in the sky tonight, The Lyrid meteor shower begins April 16 to light up the spring night sky, What's next for Europe's JUICE mission? While attending OSU, she also earned her Commercial, Single-engine Land, Multi-engine Land, Single-engine Sea, Instrument, and Flight instructors and all Ground Instructors ratings. Never miss an eclipse, a meteor shower, a rocket launch or any other astronomical and space event that's out of this world. 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. Wally devoured the profile and knew she had to join the lady astronaut trainees. 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. "Wally Funk has really never given up on her dream of spaceflight," Margaret Weitekamp, curator of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum's space history department who wrote a book about the women who lobbied to be included in NASA's astronaut program, told Space.com. She purchased a ticket on Virgin Galactic in 2010 for $200,000, hoping that it would finally get her into space. According to Mr. Bezos, he chose the date to celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. [9][14] She applied to three commercial airlines but, like other qualified female pilots, was turned away because of her sex. She will join the youngest person in space, Oliver Daemon, 18. During the course, Wally learned Flight Testing procedures and handling accidents and violations, the course also included Pilot Certification. Earlier forms of this gatekeeping prevented so many women from accomplished careers in spaceflight and space science. Ive waited a lifetime, honey, Nelson told Space.com. [24] She enjoys sports and restoring antique automobiles, with a collection that includes a 1951 Hooper Silver Wraith. 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. There was nothing I couldnt do., Wally Funks childhood photo while she was growing up in Taos, New Mexico. "There's a nice bit of poetic justice in including her on this flight. In an interview, she talked about her mother who also desired to fly as a young girl, and how her maternal grandfather doubted her mothers dreams. I just wish it had been longerand could do a lot more rolls and twists and so forth. At the same time, she represented the southwestern United States as the Top Female Skier in Slalom and Downhill races in US competition. Fighting for access to space. In June 2010, she was inducted into the Oklahoma State Universitys Aviation Hall of Fame. Wally Funk, one of the First Lady Astronauts, in the cockpit of an AT-6 training plane in 1961. "It was a very short part of their lives," Nelson said. From left: Gene Nora Jessen, Wally Funk, Jerrie Cobb, Jerri Truhill, Sarah Rutley, Myrtle Cagle, and Bernice Steadman. Funk was named Chief Pilot at Emery Aviation College in Greeley, Colorado, in 1987, where she oversaw the entire flight program for 100 students ranging from Private to Multi-engine Flight Instructor and Helicopter ratings. Aviation News Illustrated, the Oklahoma State Alumnus magazine, has featured Wally Funk on its front cover. At 18-years-old and 82-years-young, Oliver Daemen and Wally Funk represent the youngest and oldest astronauts to travel to space.. Three others accompanied her including Jeff Bezos. After attending a school in New Mexico, Wally Funk, at the age of 16, went to Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, where she graduated with an Associate of Arts degree and her pilots license in 1958.; she was rated first in her class of 24 flyers. Among the 13 FLATs, only Ms. Funk and Gene Nora Jessen are still alive. Funk will also be the oldest person in space, according to Blue Origins press statement. Wally flew for Oklahoma State University in the International Collegiate Air Meets as an officer of the famous Flying Aggies.. The Mercury 13 were skilled pilots that trained to be a part of NASAs spaceflight program before it began including women. And then we get up to about ten thousand feet or forty thousand feet and climbing . And, of course, whereas the Mercury 7 became celebrities and spent the bulk of their careers with NASA, the women found other ways to fill their time. Her interview on the Mike Douglas Television Show took place the same year. The tests included everything from a tilt table and a stint in a sensory deprivation chamber to examining the women's stomach acids. 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. But the launch this week, decades after she was denied the opportunity, also raises questions about whom space is for. 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