When Wally Funk launches into house later this month aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, she is going to, at 82, be the oldest astronaut ever.
However she was practically the youngest.
The New Mexico native was 22 when she joined the Mercury 13 program, a gaggle of intrepid ladies who, again in 1961, underwent the identical coaching because the Mercury 7, NASA’s all-male crew of unique astronauts.
The ladies had been by no means allowed to enter house, and hardly written about. It was a pioneering program misplaced to historical past.
Sue Nelson, a UK science author, broadcaster and creator of the 2019 e-book, “Wally Funk’s Race for House: The Extraordinary Story of a Feminine Aviation Pioneer” spoke with Funk after her journey plans had been made public this week by Bezos.
“She stated, ‘I’ve waited a lifetime, honey,’ ” Nelson informed The Put up, including that Funk will probably be representing Mercury 13 when she heads into house. “She informed me, ‘I’m going up for all of them.’ She is aware of the importance.”
The Mercury 13 program lasted a 12 months and was privately funded.
It was began by Dr. William Randolph Lovelace, who designed NASA’s strenuous examinations. He invited pilot Jerrie Cobbe to endure the identical exams because the males and he or she handed. Within the subsequent 12 months, one other 12 ladies would efficiently full the coaching — typically besting the lads.
“The overall consensus was that it was a doctor’s curiosity of seeing whether or not ladies might do the identical,” stated Nelson.
They had been subjected to the identical bodily punishing exams, together with swallowing a rubber tube to check abdomen acid and having ice water squirted into their ears to induce vertigo and measure their restoration time. Nelson stated the latter made many bodily in poor health.
As a part of psychological trials, the aspiring house explorers had been remoted and put right into a darkened room, which led some to hallucinate. Nelson stated Funk lasted 10 and a half hours, greater than some other individual, male or feminine.
In Bezos’ announcement, Funk acknowledged her prowess within the battle of the sexes.
“Again within the ’60s, I used to be within the Mercury 13 program,” Funk stated. “They requested me, ‘Do you wish to be an astronaut?’ I stated ‘Sure.’ They informed me that I had carried out higher and accomplished the work sooner than any of the fellows.”
Nelson stated that in contrast to the lads who skilled collectively as a gaggle, the females did so in pairs. However Funk did hers solo after the opposite girl assigned to endure testing together with her dropped out on the primary day.
A few of the ladies, together with Funk, had been invited to Pensacola, Florida, for additional coaching which by no means got here to fruition.
NASA torpedoed any hopes of the ladies launching into house, requiring candidates to be graduates of army jet check pilot applications. It was an insurmountable impediment for the ladies contemplating no army department allowed feminine pilots on the time.
Mercury 13 then shut down.
Cobbe tried to restart this system, showing earlier than the Home Committee on Science and Astronautics’ listening to on intercourse discrimination in 1962.
“There have been ladies on the Mayflower and on the primary wagon trains west, working alongside the lads to forge new trails to new vistas. We ask that chance within the pioneering of house,” stated Cobbe to no avail.
“Because of the Individuals’ hesitancy on the time, the Russians obtained there first with Valentina Tereshkova,” stated Nelson.
It wasn’t till 1983 that Sally Experience broke the barrier for American feminine astronauts.
In 1995, New York native Eileen Collins helmed Discovery, changing into the primary feminine shuttle pilot and invited the 13 trailblazers to look at the launch.
In recognition of feminine aviators who got here earlier than her, Collins packed a shawl as soon as worn by Amelia Earhart and keepsakes from the Mercury 13 women.
Nelson stated Funk gave Collins her pin from the Ninety Nines, the worldwide group for feminine pilots.
“A bit a part of her already went up,” stated Nelson. The entire ladies have handed away besides Funk and Gene Nora Jessen, and Nelson is thrilled their story is being informed as soon as once more.
“There have at all times been ladies figures in house historical past whether or not they’ve been mathematicians or engineers. They had been in LIFE journal,” stated Nelson of the Mercury 13 ladies, including, “They did get publicity however their historical past retains getting forgotten.”
