#wallyfunk — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #wallyfunk, aggregated by home.social.
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Very sad to learn we lost the remarkable Wally Funk, a pioneering aviatrix & member of the Mercury 13, who could have been early astronauts, if not for the sexism of the 1960s (the women often out performed the male astronaut candidates).
An amazing life.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/09/wally-funk-astronaut-dies
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Very sad to learn we lost the remarkable Wally Funk, a pioneering aviatrix & member of the Mercury 13, who could have been early astronauts, if not for the sexism of the 1960s (the women often out performed the male astronaut candidates).
An amazing life.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/09/wally-funk-astronaut-dies
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(ancient webpage from the medieval web)
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(ancient webpage from the medieval web)
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Women with the Right Stuff
The Documentary PodcastThe first footsteps on the Moon were one giant step for 'man', but from the early days of aeronautics women have also been involved in space travel. In Women with the Right Stuff, presenter, pilot and aspiring astronaut Wally Funk pays tribute to the pioneers, meets some of those involved within today’s space industry, and hears from the woman who might be among the crew for the first human mission to Mars.
Wally has first hand experience of the early days of space travel in America. She undertook secret tests to become an astronaut in 1961 and, along with 12 other female pilots, passed the extremely tough physical tests to become an unofficial member of the ‘Mercury 13’ – the women who, given a chance, could have gone into space before Russia’s Valentina Tereshkova made history.
Wally hears from astronauts Jessica Meier, Helen Sharman, Eileen Collins and Samantha Cristoforetti; mission control flight director Mary Lawrence; space historian David J Shayler; and shares her 1961 astronaut medical tests with NASA flight surgeon Shannan Moynihan.
Over 50 years after those tests, Wally is still flying (she takes her producer above Dallas in a Cessna) but she is yet to get into space. However Wally is on the waiting list for one of the first commercial space tourism flights and is prepared to make history as yet another woman with the right stuff.
Image: A Wally Funk playing card, Wally was one of the original Mercury 13, Credit: BBC
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Women with the Right Stuff
The Documentary PodcastThe first footsteps on the Moon were one giant step for 'man', but from the early days of aeronautics women have also been involved in space travel. In Women with the Right Stuff, presenter, pilot and aspiring astronaut Wally Funk pays tribute to the pioneers, meets some of those involved within today’s space industry, and hears from the woman who might be among the crew for the first human mission to Mars.
Wally has first hand experience of the early days of space travel in America. She undertook secret tests to become an astronaut in 1961 and, along with 12 other female pilots, passed the extremely tough physical tests to become an unofficial member of the ‘Mercury 13’ – the women who, given a chance, could have gone into space before Russia’s Valentina Tereshkova made history.
Wally hears from astronauts Jessica Meier, Helen Sharman, Eileen Collins and Samantha Cristoforetti; mission control flight director Mary Lawrence; space historian David J Shayler; and shares her 1961 astronaut medical tests with NASA flight surgeon Shannan Moynihan.
Over 50 years after those tests, Wally is still flying (she takes her producer above Dallas in a Cessna) but she is yet to get into space. However Wally is on the waiting list for one of the first commercial space tourism flights and is prepared to make history as yet another woman with the right stuff.
Image: A Wally Funk playing card, Wally was one of the original Mercury 13, Credit: BBC
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just what a cool name is Wally Funk everyone??!! :100a: :blobheartraccoon: #wallyfunk
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just what a cool name is Wally Funk everyone??!! :100a: :blobheartraccoon: #wallyfunk
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Wally Funk has died at age 87. The aviation pioneer completed the program to become an astronaut in the early 1960s but was not allowed to go to space because she was a woman. She then became a groundbreaking flight instructor, training more than 3,000 pilots, and eventually went to space at age 82 as part of Blue Origin's New Shepard NS-16 mission. Here's @CBSNews's story about her life, plus a 2019 interview with her from @TexasMonthly.
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Wally Funk has died at age 87. The aviation pioneer completed the program to become an astronaut in the early 1960s but was not allowed to go to space because she was a woman. She then became a groundbreaking flight instructor, training more than 3,000 pilots, and eventually went to space at age 82 as part of Blue Origin's New Shepard NS-16 mission. Here's @CBSNews's story about her life, plus a 2019 interview with her from @TexasMonthly.