Katherine Bennell-Pegg has always dreamt of being an astronaut, a vision she held since childhood on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in the 1990s, long before Australia established its own space agency. As she recalls, her ambition was encouraged by supportive parents and teachers who guided her to explore the necessary steps to achieve her dream. She graduated from the University of Sydney in 2007, earning degrees in engineering and advanced science with a focus on aeronautical engineering and physics.
Facing limited opportunities in Australia’s space sector, Bennell-Pegg followed in the footsteps of notable Australian astronauts and took her expertise abroad, dedicating a decade to various space projects across Europe. Her return to Australia coincided with the establishment of the Australian Space Agency in 2018, where she hoped to contribute to building a robust space technology ecosystem.
Despite Australia having a space agency, it lacked an astronaut programme until the European Space Agency (ESA) announced new astronaut selections. Bennell-Pegg, thanks to her dual British citizenship, seized the chance to pursue her lifelong aspiration. The extensive selection process spanned 18 months and involved rigorous evaluations, including medical tests, psychological assessments, and interviews with over 23,000 candidates from 22 countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she travelled multiple times to Europe, ultimately succeeding where others had not.
Her selection as an astronaut representing Australia is significant because, while other Australians have reached space, they did so under NASA as American citizens. Bennell-Pegg expressed her gratitude for the legacy of those who came before her, acknowledging the immense responsibility she feels in representing Australia.
Katherine’s next goal is to embark on her inaugural mission to the moon, aiming to create avenues for collaboration between researchers and organisations in the fields of space and science. She highlighted the importance of breakthroughs that can only occur in space due to the unique conditions. Bennell-Pegg hopes that her achievements will inspire Australian children to pursue their own ambitious dreams, emphasising that nearly any career in STEM can lead to opportunities in space exploration. She believes that astronauts are relatable individuals who simply fill specific roles needed for current space missions, making her dream not only attainable but also a powerful beacon of potential for future generations.