Katherine Bennell-Pegg becomes the first person to graduate from astronaut training under Australian flag
SA’s first astronaut to fly under the Australian flag says there’s one uniquely Australian thing she plans to take onto the International Space Station.
SA News
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A trailblazing South Australian mum has made history by becoming the first person under the Australian flag to graduate from astronaut training.
Director of Space Technology at Australian Space Agency and astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg, 39, achieved the one-of-a-kind milestone on Monday with the European Space Agency, and shared her joy from her graduation in Cologne, Germany.
Ms Bennell-Pegg appeared on FIVEaa on Tuesday morning – her local time was 1.30am – fresh off her Monday graduation.
She said she had stepped aside from the party in the other room to share her delight in becoming a fully-qualified astronaut.
She is now one of the few worldwide who are approved for spaceflight and missions to the International Space Station – although the pioneering South Australian said she wasn’t sure when she would be sent to space.
She was excited to one day follow in the footsteps of Adelaide-born astronaut Andy Thomas, who became a US citizen in 1986 to gain entry to NASA’s astronaut program.
“(Thomas) was definitely a childhood idol of mine and it was really great to receive a congratulations from him earlier today,” she said.
Asked what items she would take into space that represented SA, Ms Bennell-Pegg said “Something that honours probably the oldest astronomers in the world, the Indigenious Australians … I’d also definitely like to take some vegemite … I think that would make a great space food”.
Ms Bennell-Pegg was one of six candidates selected in November 2022 to participate in a year-long basic astronaut training course which kicked off in April last year.
She said one of the hardest aspects of the training was learning a new language.
“The most gruelling thing for me was having to learn Russian in about eight weeks,” she said.
“Part of the (International Space Station) is Russian so for operational reasons everyone up there has to speak both English and Russian.”
Ms Bennell-Pegg said the achievement was a childhood dream come true, and is now one step closer to becoming the first Australian female astronaut in space.
“It’s an honour to be the first, and I’m determined not to be the last,” she explained.
“Representing Australia is filled with opportunities to propel our nation’s science and technology forward in the global space arena and to raise the level of aspiration for the next generation.
“I hope my training and whatever comes next helps unlock the path for more Australians to become involved in human spaceflight.”
The mother-of-two said graduating with “the Australian flag on my shoulder” speaks for the “innovation and ambition” of the people in our country, particularly scientists, engineers and educators.
During her training, Ms Bennell-Pegg learnt essential spaceflight, medical and survival skills including spacecraft systems, spacewalking, flight engineering, robotics and life support systems.
She launched her career in late 2019 when she started working at the agency, then applied to join the European Astronaut Corp in 2021.
Head of the Australian Space Agency, Enrico Palermo said the Agency was proud of Ms Bennell-Pegg, and believed she had “opened doors that will further grow our local space ecosystem”.
“Katherine will return to Australia a qualified astronaut brimming with knowledge, insights and connections that will help generate global opportunities for our industry,” Mr Palermo said.
“Sending people into space is about more than just exploring. It allows us to do unique science, unlocks knowledge and develops technology that benefits life on Earth.”
European Space Agency Director General, Josef Aschbacher said Ms Bennell-Pegg and the new generation of ESA astronauts “strengthened the ties between Australia and ESA.”
“As we venture further into space, collaboration remains the key to success,” Mr Aschbacher said.
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