Physicist, pilot and entrepreneur, Elaine Hyde (Chia 2000), was one of six crew members onboard Blue Origin’s 30th New Shepard mission, reaching suborbital space on 26 February 2025. 

Elaine’s passion for space began at just 10 years old, when an astronaut visited PLC and ignited her dream. She later attended Space Camp in the USA, an experience that further fuelled her ambition. 

A successful entrepreneur, Elaine founded Chicago Star Media, a global communications services firm, and currently operates Eastside Enterprises, a research and development company specialising in AI-assisted media products. Now based in Florida, she lives with her husband and their five children.