Feminism: chat
Wally Funk just went to space
tinselvestsparklepants · 20/07/2021 14:54
82 years old. Trained in the 60s to go to space but was denied her chance because she was a woman. Today she went to space! For anyone who hasn't heard of her, the documentary The Mercury 13 tells her story and that if the other women who should have had their chance to fly. I don't like Jeff Bezos but I'm glad he gave her the chance to go today.
Imasoulman · 24/07/2021 16:34
@tinselvestsparklepants
Truly an amazing person and an inspirational woman, she has achieved so much and had an amazing life.
However she wasn't denied a chance to go into space because she was a woman, in those days you had to be a military pilot or hold a relevant engineering degree. At the time I believe she fell short on both points.
The training she and the other women went through was part of a medical experiment, they weren't training to go into space per se.
In fact she had a huge leg up to even get accepted on the programme.
I'm glad she made it in the end, no one deserves it more.
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