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Trailblazing Aviator Wally Funk, Oldest Spaceflier, Dies 87

7/12/2026

36 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Wally Funk, pioneer, died at age 87 on June 8, 2026 in Grapevine, Texas.
Councilwoman Duff O’Dell said Funk had recent falls and a leg infection.
Funk, a Mercury 13 member, flew Blue Origin’s New Shepard July 20, 2021, becoming the oldest person in space at 82.
She became the FAA’s first female inspector, the NTSB’s first female air-safety investigator, and a flight instructor, logging over 19,600 hours.

History

Historical Context

In 1960 NASA physician William Lovelace invited thirteen women, including Wally Funk, to take the same Mercury astronaut tests as men; the program was cancelled in 1962 and women stayed barred until Sally Ride flew on June 18 1983. Decades later, Funk, then 82, rode Blue Origin’s New Shepard in July 2021, prompting the FAA to adopt gender-inclusive astronaut policies.

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Story summary

Wally Funk, pioneer, died at age 87 on June 8, 2026 in Grapevine, Texas.
Councilwoman Duff O’Dell said Funk had recent falls and a leg infection.
Funk, a Mercury 13 member, flew Blue Origin’s New Shepard July 20, 2021, becoming the oldest person in space at 82.
She became the FAA’s first female inspector, the NTSB’s first female air-safety investigator, and a flight instructor, logging over 19,600 hours.

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