Wally Funk will get to space

[ErrolTheDragon]

I don't think the times links are sharing at the moment, but do have a look for this news - good but decades late. Wally Funk is one of the women who were selected for the Women in Space program in the early 60s. (The Mercury 13 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_13 ). Some of them did splendidly but the program was cancelled. Anyway, she'll be joining Jeff Bezos on his New Shepard flight scheduled for July 20th.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/space-racer-wally-funk-82-finally-reaches-for-the-stars-on-jeff-bezoss-new-shepard-spacecraft-bppspj09t?shareToken=5b2c0a95f672f823ad868556ec7245d1

Really delighted to hear this. I so wish those women had got there under their own steam in the 60s - at least one of them deserved a place.

Very happy to hear this.

So much hidden Womens history.

Radio 4 did a good program about them a few years ago. I've forgotten if it was a play or more of a documentary - maybe a dramatisation with interspersed interviews? - unfortunately I don't believe it's available now. It was one of those serendipitous things I caught by accident that made an impression.

@ErrolTheDragon

Radio 4 did a good program about them a few years ago. I've forgotten if it was a play or more of a documentary - maybe a dramatisation with interspersed interviews? - unfortunately I don't believe it's available now. It was one of those serendipitous things I caught by accident that made an impression.

That rings a bell Errol. As if I'd forget a name like that!

Are you thinking of Project Mercury - the Netflix documentary?

No, definitely radio 4 but there are documentaries which may well be worth a watch.

I saw this! Delighted for her.

That's fantastic. I've been loving Apple TV's For All Mankind, which is about an alternate history where the Russians get to the moon first and the space race heats back up. One of the results is women, including a black woman, getting to space in the early 70s. Many of the characters are based on real characters and in it's own way, the show rights one of the wrongs of history in the character of Molly Cobb based on the real Mercury 13 pilot, Jerrie Cobb.

It's even better to see this happen in real life though!

Awesome.

She is an amazing woman.

Great!

Looking forward to seeing the lift off.

I didn’t see it, but here’s an update - she loved it.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jeff-bezos-prepares-for-private-space-launch-today-7lznfskgk?shareToken=ceb32f5658a1e8358bcba109fd35b351

Posted this on the other thread but worth repeating: the unalloyed joy in her face says it all!

That's great!
(I didn't know there was another thread, so I'm glad you did)