Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos who is also the founder of aerospace firm Blue Origin has chosen an 82-year-old female to join him in the space on July 20. Wally Funk who trained for NASA’s Mercury program but was refused the chance to go to space is finally getting an opportunity to fulfill her dream of going to space.
It has been disclosed by Blue Origin on Thursday that the 82-year-old will hold the fourth spot on the introductory crewed flight of its New Shepard suborbital spacecraft, alongside Blue Origin founder Bezos, his brother Mark Bezos and the winner of an auction who forked over $28 million for the opportunity. The firm has not yet revealed the name of the winner of an auction.
Furthermore, Funk was the first FAA inspector and first female NTSB air safety investigator now. After accompanying the world’s richest man, she will make history by becoming the oldest person ever to travel into space.
Jeff took to Instagram and wrote: “In 1961, Wally Funk was at the top of her class as part of the “Mercury 13” Woman in Space Program. Despite completing their training, the program was canceled, and none of the thirteen flew.”
Funk has broad experience directing aircraft, logging over 19,600 flying hours, and instructing more than 3,000 people how to fly private and commercial aircraft.
