July 19, 2021Updated 8:05 p.m. ET
Wally Funk is finally going to space. When on Tuesday she crosses that arbitrary altitude that divides the heavens from Earth below, in a rocket built by Jeff Bezos’ company Blue Origin, she’ll be 82, the oldest person ever to go into space. But that is not what makes her so special.
Ms. Funk is one of the few people who has directly participated in both eras of human spaceflight so far the one that started as an urgent race between rival nations, and the one that we are now transitioning into, in which private companies and the billionaires who finance them are in fierce competition for customers, comeuppance and contracts. That she was ultimately excluded from the first phase because she is a woman, and will now be included in the next one, also highlights difficult questions of whom space is for.
When and How to Watch Jeff Bezos Blue Origin Launch to Space
nytimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nytimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Blue Origin preparing for first crewed flight with six crew, including founder Jeff Bezos and Mercury 13 aviatrix Wally Funk
nasaspaceflight.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nasaspaceflight.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Quién es la aviadora que, a sus 82 años, viajó hoy al espacio junto a Jeff Bezos
lagaceta.com.ar - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lagaceta.com.ar Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.