- Wally Funk, an aviation pioneer and the oldest woman to launch into space, has died at the age of 87.
- She passed away on Wednesday in Grapevine, Texas, due to complications from recent falls and a leg infection.
- In the early 1960s, Funk was among 13 female pilots who underwent the same rigorous tests as NASA's all-male astronaut corps but was not selected for space travel at the time.
- Her lifelong dream was realized in 2021 when, at 82, she flew into space as an "honored guest" aboard Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin rocket.
- At the time of her flight, she held the record as the oldest person in space, a title later surpassed by William Shatner and Ed Dwight.
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