Funk

Personal data: Birth date:  01.02.1939 (age 86) Birthplace:  Las Vegas, New Mexico, U.S. Education:  Stephens College Oklahoma State University Known for:   First female FAA and NTSB inspector; one of the Mercury 13; oldest woman to fly in space Marital status:   Children:   Status:  active

Spaceflights:

Additional information:

• Mary Wallace Funk (born February 1, 1939) is 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.
• 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. Funk remains the oldest woman to have travelled into space.
• Funk is the last surviving member of the Mercury 13 group. She is also the only one of the thirteen to have traveled to space.
• On July 1, 2021, Blue Origin announced Funk would fly on the first New Shepard flight with passengers, one of four on the flight, including Jeff Bezos, his brother Mark, and 18-year-old Oliver Daemen from the Netherlands, who became the youngest ever person in space during the flight of July 20, 2021. During the successful flight Funk, at age 82, became the oldest person to fly to space, exceeding John Glenn's record at the age of 77 in 1998 (aboard STS-95). Her record would be surpassed later that year by William Shatner, who flew aboard Blue Origin NS-18 at the age of 90.