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Wally Funk, an 82-year old American aviator, seen here in 2010 watching the Virgin Galactic VSS … [+]
AFP via Getty Images
Who is going to space with Jeff Bezos? Wally Funk, an 82-year old American aviator, will fly with the Amazon founder as his company Blue Origin launches the first humans into space on July 20, 2021.
One of the so-called “Mercury 13” group of female astronauts who trained privately for space travel after being denied the chance by NASA during the space race, Funk will be one of four people on the maiden human spaceflight of Blue Origin’s New Shepard spacecraft.
Funk will join Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos, and the auction winner on the flight. The identity of the latter is as yet unknown.
The 82-year-old pilot will become the oldest person ever to fly to space—and on the 52-year anniversary of America’s Apollo 11 Moon landing.
Jeff Bezos today posted on Instagram a short video featuring the moment he asked her to join the first human flight.
“It’s time,” wrote Bezos on Instagram. “Welcome to the crew, Wally. We’re excited to have you fly with us on July 20th as our honored guest.”
“No one has waited longer.”
The first female FAA inspector and first female NTSB air safety investigator, Funk was the youngest graduate of the Woman in Space Program, a privately-funded project which tested female pilots for astronaut fitness.
They underwent the same physiological and psychological screening tests as the male astronauts selected by NASA for Project Mercury, but none of them ever flew to space.
Funk will change all that on July 20 when she, the Bezos brothers and a mystery auction winner—who paid $28 million for the privilege—launch from Texas on a 60-foot-tall rocket, their capsule accelerating to Mach 3 as it crosses into space 50 miles above the surface. After a few minutes in zero gravity the capsule will then return to Earth by parachute.
The entire sub-orbital flight will take 11 minutes.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.