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Wally Funk’s 40-year wait to blast off into history will soon be over

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Wally Funk (Photo via screengrab of Instagram video posted by Jeff Bezos)

Wally Funk completed astronaut training in the 1961 as part of the First Lady Astronaut Trainees, better known as the “Mercury 13”. Then 21-year-old Funk would earn the third highest marks in the program, only to see the program cancelled due to their gender.  Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is giving Funk the chance to realize her dream that was taken from her decades ago.

Bezos created an Instagram post on Thursday announcing that Funk will be joining him in his upcoming space adventure aboard the New Shepard rocket.

“I didn’t think I would ever get to go up,” stated Funk in the video posted by Bezos. “I can’t tell people that are watching how fabulous I feel to have been picked by Blue Origin to go on this trip.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jeff Bezos (@jeffbezos)

Once in space, 82-year-old Funk will set a new record for the oldest person to ever go to space. She will be joined by not only Bezos, but his brother and a $28 million charity auction winner.

Funk has never let anything stand in her way. Through her career she has amassed 19,600 flying hours and has given flying instruction to over 3,000 people.

In today’s world, it is easy to forget all that women have fought to be able to achieve.  Just 60 years ago, a brave and capable young woman was denied her passion and the deserved opportunity to become one of the first women, or even people, in space, solely and openly due to her gender.

 

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