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S'pore PR in her 50s takes S'pore flag to space
Flying the Singapore flag higher.
November 15, 2024, 10:30 AM
An entrepreneur based in Singapore took the Singapore flag to outer space — some 100km above the surface of the Earth.
Nicolina Elrick, who is in her 50s, pulled off the feat as she has been calling Singapore home since 1995.
And the Singapore permanent resident has become the first individual to carry the Singapore flag beyond the planet's atmosphere.
She was born in Scotland, according to The New Paper.
via Nicolina Elrick
The flight to space with Blue Origin took place on Aug. 29, 2024.
"I have always had the heart of Singapore. This is my home, and I wanted to share it with the universe," Elrick said in an interview with The Pinnacle Gazette.
95th woman in history to go into space
There were other firsts.
The out-of-this-world experience saw Elrick become the first Scottish woman to ever go to space and the 95th woman in history to make the journey.
A trip to space reportedly costs S$35,000 per day
Background
Elrick is a life coach and founder of a consulting firm that she built.
A former model, she became a founder of IT firms during the 1990s tech boom, according to TNP.
But it has not been completely smooth sailing.
The single mother was diagnosed with cancer for the third time in 2009.
She became depressed and decided to try something to regain her positivity on her doctor's advice.
She then trained to be a certified helicopter pilot, which brought her great joy.
From there, she built connections with the European Space Agency and enrolled in space training programmes.
Blue Origin informed her in May 2022 that there was an available slot in an upcoming space mission.
After waiting for two years, the trip to space with a six-person crew occurred on Aug. 29 from West Texas, United States.
The spacecraft crossed the Kármán Line, reaching 100km above Earth for a 10-minute expedition.
Elrick is currently in negotiations with SpaceX on a potential one-week space expedition in 2027.
The boundary-breaker told The Pinnacle Gazette: "People often think this was handed to me. But I had to forge my path, make connections, and build my own opportunities. Everything I achieved is because I worked hard for it."
Her book, "Grit, Diamonds, Stars", is slated to be released in 2025.
Top photos via Nicolina Elrick & Blue Origin
