Wally Funk, Oldest Woman to Fly to Space and Last of Mercury 13, Dies at 87

Hindustan Times—Wally Funk, the trailblazing aviator who became the oldest person to fly to space when she joined Jeff Bezos on Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket in 2021 at age 82 — nearly 60 years after she was denied the chance as one of the Mercury 13 — died at age 87. A North Texas native and longtime flight instructor, Funk had been one of 13 women who passed NASA's astronaut tests in the early 1960s but were barred from the space program because they were women. She was the last surviving member of the Mercury 13. Her 2021 flight with Bezos fulfilled a lifelong dream delayed for six decades.

• Hindustan Times — Waited 60 years after passing NASA tests to finally reach space with Jeff Bezos in 2021
• Guardian — Science — Mercury 13 aviator and oldest woman to reach space dies at 87
• The Independent (UK) — Wally Funk death: Oldest woman to travel into space dies at 87
• Ars Technica — Last surviving member of the Mercury 13, the women denied NASA spots in the 1960s
• USA Today — Wally Funk, the oldest woman to launch into space, dies at 87
• Sky News — Technology — Oldest woman to travel into space dies aged 87
• HuffPost — US News — Aviation Pioneer Wally Funk, Oldest Woman To Travel Into Space, Dies At 87
• CBS News — US — North Texas aviation pioneer and flight instructor Wally Funk dies aged 87
• The Hill — Wally Funk, the oldest woman to travel to space, dies
• HuffPost — Aviation Pioneer Wally Funk, Oldest Woman To Travel Into Space, Dies At 87
• PBS NewsHour — Wally Funk, aviation pioneer who was oldest woman to travel into space, dies at 87