19th June 2019 | The Devonshire
To celebrate 50 years since the moon landings, join us for an extraordinary evening with Wally Funk, the aviation pioneer who was set to become the first person in space.
Yes in 1961, Wally Funk was among the Mercury 13, the first group of American pilots to pass the Woman in Space programme. She sailed through a series of quite terrifying physical and mental tests, with one of her scores beating all the male Mercury 7 astronauts', including John Glenn's, the first American in orbit.
But with one week to go, the programme was abruptly cancelled; gender politics and general prejudice meant that none of the women ever flew into space. Wally went on to become an aviation pioneer - although her dream of being an astronaut never dimmed.
Now approaching her eightieth birthday, Wally races to make her own giant leap into space, before it's too late. She will be in London to explain her incredible story to Salon London, in conversation with the award-winning journalist Sue Nelson, the author of Wally Funk's Race for Space.
Hear Wally’s incredible story - how she paved the way for women in space, why there’s still a long way to go and how her dream of becoming an astronaut is about to become a reality.
Wednesday 19 June. The Devonshire. Doors 6pm. Tickets £20 and include a copy of the book, Wally Funk's Race for Space: The Extraordinary Story of a Female Aviation Pioneer.
The Devonshire
5 Devonshire Square, Spitalfields, London
EC2M 4YD
