Wally Funk

Mary Wallace Funk (February 1, 1939 – July 8, 2026) was an American aviator, commercial astronaut, and goodwill ambassador. She was the first female air safety investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, the first female civilian flight instructor at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the first female Federal Aviation Administration inspector, as well as one of the Mercury 13 group. Funk became the oldest person to go to space on July 20, 2021, at age 82, flying on Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft during its suborbital flight, breaking a record held by John Glenn for 23 years. Her record would stand until later that year when William Shatner's flight took place on October 13; Shatner was age 90 at the time. As of 2026, Funk remains the oldest woman to have traveled into space. She was the last surviving member of the Mercury 13 group. Funk was also the only one of the 13 to have traveled to space.