By far the biggest thing left out of Wally's memoir was her dream-fulfilling flight to space in July 2021. The book was published before that wonderful event. Here's a brief report on her experience:
Boy oh boy, did I get the surprise of my life in July 2021! Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had also started a spaceflight company called Blue Origin. He came to see me and invited me to be his honored guest aboard that company's New Shepard rocket and go to space with him! When he told me that, my chin hit the floor and I just grabbed him and hugged him tight! I was beginning to think I'd ever get to go up, especially at the age of 82. Our date for flight was going to be July 20, 2021. On the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, I would get my chance to go to space!
I'll never forget the day I have waited for literally most of my life. Four of us were launched skyward on the New Shepard from the West Texas desert. The spacecraft traveled at nearly three times the speed of sound, reaching a height of 66 miles above the Earth's surface.
I was the first one to unbuckle my seatbelt. I floated in those brief moments of microgravity, and I looked out and saw the Earth below. For me, as I told reporters, "It was EASY! I've been training for this my whole life." It was over entirely too quickly, but I am forever grateful to Jeff and Blue Origin for giving me the chance to make my dream a reality. Our capsule returned to Earth using parachutes, and we landed softly in the desert on a trip that lasted a little more than 10 minutes but fulfilled 62 years of dreams. As I exited the capsule, I spread my arms wide in joy!
With the Virgin Galactic's inaugural flight on July 11, 2021, and Blue Origin's on July 20, 2021, commercial spaceflight became infinitely more accessible for all people. For me it wasn't about billionaires, but access to space for people just like you and me.
Boy oh boy, did I get the surprise of my life in July 2021! Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had also started a spaceflight company called Blue Origin. He came to see me and invited me to be his honored guest aboard that company's New Shepard rocket and go to space with him! When he told me that, my chin hit the floor and I just grabbed him and hugged him tight! I was beginning to think I'd ever get to go up, especially at the age of 82. Our date for flight was going to be July 20, 2021. On the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, I would get my chance to go to space!
I'll never forget the day I have waited for literally most of my life. Four of us were launched skyward on the New Shepard from the West Texas desert. The spacecraft traveled at nearly three times the speed of sound, reaching a height of 66 miles above the Earth's surface.
I was the first one to unbuckle my seatbelt. I floated in those brief moments of microgravity, and I looked out and saw the Earth below. For me, as I told reporters, "It was EASY! I've been training for this my whole life." It was over entirely too quickly, but I am forever grateful to Jeff and Blue Origin for giving me the chance to make my dream a reality. Our capsule returned to Earth using parachutes, and we landed softly in the desert on a trip that lasted a little more than 10 minutes but fulfilled 62 years of dreams. As I exited the capsule, I spread my arms wide in joy!
With the Virgin Galactic's inaugural flight on July 11, 2021, and Blue Origin's on July 20, 2021, commercial spaceflight became infinitely more accessible for all people. For me it wasn't about billionaires, but access to space for people just like you and me.
Wally Funk's Online World!
Outtakes from Wally's Memoir
Wally's life has been too full to include everything in one book. Each month, this page will feature something that didn't make it into Higher, Faster, Longer.
By far the biggest thing left out of the first edition of Wally's memoir was her dream-fulfilling flight to space in July 2021. The book was published before that wonderful event. A second edition is now available with a full chapter on that experience. If you purchased that first edition, here's a brief report on her experience:
Boy oh boy, did I get the surprise of my life in July 2021! Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had also started a spaceflight company called Blue Origin. He came to see me and invited me to be his honored guest aboard that company's New Shepard rocket and go to space with him! When he told me that, my chin hit the floor and I just grabbed him and hugged him tight! I was beginning to think I'd ever get to go up, especially at the age of 82. Our date for flight was going to be July 20, 2021. On the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, I would get my chance to go to space!
I'll never forget the day I have waited for literally most of my life. Four of us were launched skyward on the New Shepard from the West Texas desert. The spacecraft traveled at nearly three times the speed of sound, reaching a height of 66 miles above the Earth's surface.
I was the first one to unbuckle my seatbelt. I floated in those brief moments of microgravity, and I looked out and saw the Earth below. For me, as I told reporters, "It was EASY! I've been training for this my whole life." It was over entirely too quickly, but I am forever grateful to Jeff and Blue Origin for giving me the chance to make my dream a reality. Our capsule returned to Earth using parachutes, and we landed softly in the desert on a trip that lasted a little more than 10 minutes but fulfilled 62 years of dreams. As I exited the capsule, I spread my arms wide in joy!
With the Virgin Galactic's inaugural flight on July 11, 2021, and Blue Origin's on July 20, 2021, commercial spaceflight became infinitely more accessible for all people. For me it wasn't about billionaires, but access to space for people just like you and me.
Boy oh boy, did I get the surprise of my life in July 2021! Amazon founder Jeff Bezos had also started a spaceflight company called Blue Origin. He came to see me and invited me to be his honored guest aboard that company's New Shepard rocket and go to space with him! When he told me that, my chin hit the floor and I just grabbed him and hugged him tight! I was beginning to think I'd ever get to go up, especially at the age of 82. Our date for flight was going to be July 20, 2021. On the 52nd anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, I would get my chance to go to space!
I'll never forget the day I have waited for literally most of my life. Four of us were launched skyward on the New Shepard from the West Texas desert. The spacecraft traveled at nearly three times the speed of sound, reaching a height of 66 miles above the Earth's surface.
I was the first one to unbuckle my seatbelt. I floated in those brief moments of microgravity, and I looked out and saw the Earth below. For me, as I told reporters, "It was EASY! I've been training for this my whole life." It was over entirely too quickly, but I am forever grateful to Jeff and Blue Origin for giving me the chance to make my dream a reality. Our capsule returned to Earth using parachutes, and we landed softly in the desert on a trip that lasted a little more than 10 minutes but fulfilled 62 years of dreams. As I exited the capsule, I spread my arms wide in joy!
With the Virgin Galactic's inaugural flight on July 11, 2021, and Blue Origin's on July 20, 2021, commercial spaceflight became infinitely more accessible for all people. For me it wasn't about billionaires, but access to space for people just like you and me.
©2024 Loretta Hall