Recognizing Astronaut Status of 82 Year Old Wally Funk

Recognizing Astronaut Status of 82 Year Old Wally Funk

Started
July 24, 2021
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Signatures: 593Next Goal: 1,000
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Why this petition matters

Started by Michael Potter

Mary Wallace "Wally" Funk is an American aviator, as well as one of The Mercury 13  women who, successfully underwent the same physiological screening tests as the astronauts selected by NASA on April 9, 1959, for Project Mercury.

Funk just became the oldest person to go to space on Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft during its suborbital flight on July 20, 2021.

On this same day that Wally landed back from space the Federal Aviation Administration announced a change to its Astronaut Wings Program for the first time in 17 years, stripping Wally of her official Commercial Astronaut status.

WE DEMAND THE WHITE HOUSE & THE FAA IMMEDIATELY HONOR AND GRANT WALLY THE ASTRONAUT STATUS THAT SHE HAS EARNED FROM A LIFETIME OF DEDICATION, EXPERTISE AND HARD WORK. THE FAA AND THE WHITE HOUSE CAN CORRECT THIS INJUSTICE.

Together with Gene Nora Jessen, Funk is one of the last two surviving members of Mercury 13 group.  She is also the only one of the thirteen to have traveled to space.

Funk has been chief pilot for five aviation schools across the country.[To date, as a professional Flight Instructor she has soloed more than 700 students and put through 3,000 Private, Commercial, Multi-engine, Seaplane, Glider, Instrument, CFI, Al, and Air Transport Pilots.[

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wally_Funk

 

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Signatures: 593Next Goal: 1,000
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