Since she was a girl in a Superman cape jumping off the family barn and stargazing from the slopes of Taos Mountain, Wally Funk has kept going higher, faster, and longer every time she has seen an opportunity. In college, Wally soared through the aviation program, landing herself a flight instructor position after graduation. From there, she set a record in astronaut testing which she passed with flying colors.
The scuttling of the Mercury 13 program didn't stop Wally, who used her dreams to fuel an adventure-studded life. Traveling the world, shattering glass ceilings, and always keeping one eye on the stars, Wally relentlessly and joyfully reached higher, flew faster, and traveled longer on her way to space. For the first time in her own words, here is the stellar story of a truly unique American space pioneer.
Wally Funk has been actively pursuing her dream of spaceflight since 1960. Not only did she pass the same physical exams as NASA's first astronauts (all male), but she arranged additional tests that NASA declined to authorize. When her attempts to join the astronaut corps were thwarted, she continued to seek spaceflight opportunities aboard the Space Cruiser System in 1999, as a pilot for Interorbital Systems' potential entry in the 2004 Ansari X-Prize competition, and now as a ticket holder on Virgin Galactic. She has participated in space camps at the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama (1991) and at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City, Russia (2000). Wally is an active member in many aviation and women's organizations, including Women in Aviation International, the Ninety-Nines, the International Women's Air & Space Museum, Zonta International, and the Association for Women in Aviation Maintenance. She is also active in organizations associated with her hobbies, including the Single Action Shooting Society and the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Wally's desire for spaceflight has been a quest but not an obsession. She did not let it keep her from an outstanding and satisfying career in aviation. She has been awarded the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States' Aeronautics and Aerospace Award Gold Medal, the Daughters of the American Revolution's award for Excellence in Community Service, and awards from Pratt & Whitney and Delta Airlines, among others. She has a plaque on the National Air and Space Museum's Wall of Honor. She is a tireless educator and advocate for girls' involvement in STEM activities and careers.
