SPACE
ELAINE
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WHO IS
SPACE ELAINE
Elaine Hyde is a physicist, business woman and pilot. She is a dual Australian and United States citizen. She will make history as the first Australian woman to reach sub-orbital space on her upcoming Blue Origin flight on Tuesday, February 25 at 9:30 a.m. CST.
Elaine’s story continues to unfold as she prepares for her upcoming space flights with Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin.
Mission patch, launch date
February 21, 2025 11:27 EST
I will blast off on a rocket on Tuesday, February 25, 2025 at 9:30 AM CST.
Learn more about the symbolism of the patch.
Explore
GALLERY
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"Sometimes we must choose adventure." - Elaine Hyde
Inspired by an astronaut’s visit to her elementary school, at the age of 10, Elaine boldly announced her intention to become an astronaut herself.
ACHIEVEMENTS
PROFESSIONAL LIFE
After stints as a research scientist and management consultant, Elaine founded Chicago Star Media, which launched as a local print newspaper.
Under her leadership, Chicago Star grew into a communications services firm with clients spanning the globe. Elaine currently operates Eastside Enterprises, a research and development company that focuses on AI-assisted media products.
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PERSONAL LIFE
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Education
Elaine attended Presbyterian Ladies’ College in Burwood, Victoria. As part of her education at PLC, her adventurer’s spirit was nurtured by participating in many outdoor camps. She would spend hours gazing at the stars and exploring the Australian outback.
A graduate of the University of Melbourne, Elaine studied business and physics with a focus on developing experiments for space. Her ambition led her to the United States so she could be closer to the space race. She worked as an intern in the astrophysics labs at the University of Pennsylvania, later becoming a research scientist at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Her work further fueled her passion for space.
Family
Elaine and her husband Joey live with their five children in Florida.
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CHILDHOOD
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Elaine was born in Singapore. Her mother worked for Marconi Communications Systems as a quality control engineer and her father was a telecommunications engineer. When she was four years old, her parents immigrated to Australia to start a computer distribution business. The personal computer industry was just taking off and Elaine grew up putting together motherboards in the back of her parent’s shop.
At age 16, she attended Space Camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Alabama, an experience that only deepened her resolve to reach the stars.
lift
OFF
