Thousands of fans and friends celebrated Wally Funk Saturday in Grapevine for their historic space flight aboard Blue Origin.
Funk, 82, was the oldest person to go into space on July 20 when they boarded Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket. The mission lasted six decades when Funk, known as a pioneer for women in aerospace, underwent a series of tests in the 1960s that were part of NASA’s first manned space program, Project Mercury.
Funk was one of 13 women selected for the tests, known as “Mercury 13” because she did not have an engineering degree.
“It wasn’t because of her [NASA] didn’t like girls. I didn’t have an engineering degree. That’s the problem, ”Funk told the fans as she signed autographs on Saturday. “Get your engineering degree. All of you boys. “
Still, the celebration on Saturday drew hundreds who watched Funk’s 60-year journey into space. Grapevine Mayor William D. Tate praised Funk’s contributions to aviation, adding that her career alone was inspiring as she proclaimed Saturday Wally Funk Day.
“I urge their roommates and Grapevine neighbors to honor and recognize Wally’s ability to break gender barriers in a male-dominated profession and her positive perseverance and pursuit of space travel despite repeated delays and obstacles,” Tate said.
The celebration on Saturday included a parade of funk in a white convertible before speaking to the crowd at Peace Plaza in downtown Grapevine, summarizing the July 20th flight.
“Everyone was so fantastic that… you can’t believe it. I could not believe it. I’ve been to a lot of places, but the best part of my life was being with Blue Origin, ”she said.
Funk has been a member of the Ninety Nines group for 60 years. The international organization includes licensed pilots from 44 countries.
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