Katherine Bennell-Pegg on the future of space exploration in Australia and why we should dare together

Australia is set to play a pivotal role in the future of space exploration, according to the nation’s first ever qualified astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg.

The trailblazing engineer — who was the recipient of the Australian of the Year in January — used her keynote speech at the inaugural The Nightly Live event on Wednesday morning to declare the country has the technology and landscape to take its place at the forefront of the growing industry.

The Australian Space Agency space technology director’s message comes on the back of a revived global interest in the exploration of outer space, after the historic Artemis II flyby of the moon that became the greatest ever human distance from earth.

Australia at the forefront of space exploration

Bennell-Pegg — a space engineer who became the nation’s first ever qualified astronaut in 2024 — said Australia was “on the cusp of reclaiming our place” in the space industry.

“When I arrived at the Astronaut centre to begin my training, everyone was delighted and excited that Australia had stepped forward to be the eighth space agency with an astronaut,” she said.

“They recognise what we can bring to the table. The world wants to work with us on space not just because of our incredible geography but because of the capabilities we’ve had to develop to live and thrive in our vast and remote land beautifully translate to space.”

Australia’s exploration program is already returning more than $7 for every $1 invested in the Australian Space Agency.

However, Bennell-Pegg said it’s more than just an economic opportunity with space underpinning how we address climate catastrophes, cost of living pressures, industries that need saving, and safeguarding national security.

Edith Cowan University, which sponsored the breakfast with Bennell-Pegg, is making history in this space by being a part of the IGNIS mission — a major Australian-US collaboration with NASA to study lightning and fire from the ground, air and space.

This could transform how bushfires are predicted.

“We are proud of contributing to Australia’s growing space ecosystem through initiatives such as the IGNIS mission, where the university is working with NASA, on a satellite project giving students, including primary and secondary school students and our researchers, the opportunity to participate directly in real-world space innovation projects,” ECU vice chancellor Clare Pollock said.

Artemis missions

Bennell-Pegg said WA was particularly poised to benefit as the State had strengths that lent itself “well to the moon”.

“We know Western Australia excels in subsea remote operations, automation and field robotics. In the Pilbara, we operate mine sites from about 1200 kilometres away,” she said.

The Australian Space Agency is building and capitalising on these strengths, heading to the moon by the end of this decade with a 20kg semi-autonomous rover, called Roo-ver, in collaboration with NASA.

Inspiring young girls in STEM

The trailblazer is on the cusp of becoming the first Australian to go to space and this — combined with her remarkable climb up the ranks of the industry so far — has not been lost on young girls across the nation.

For Guildford Grammar Year 4 student Elsie Forster, who was one of dozens of school children in the crowd at Crown Perth, said her hero had made it possible for her to aim high.

“I love space and I just started to follow Katherine and dream big,” the nine-year-old said.

“It was really exciting to get to see someone I’ve been looking up to for so long.

“I am dreaming to be a space scientist, not an astronaut, because I don’t want to go into space but I want to study it.”

The astronaut signed the young space enthusiast’s universe book, telling her to “Dream big! An astronaut dream will take you on incredible adventures. Go for it!”.

Bennell-Pegg said a child’s curiosity for space was a gateway into getting more Australian children, particularly more girls, interested in STEM careers.

“When I walk into a room of young people, including young girls, when they realise that you can have an astronaut jacket with an Australian flag on it, it really moves them,” she said during a Q&A session with The West Australian and The Nightly’s national political editor Andrew Greene.

“One of the challenges today, take engineering as an example, is that most young girls at school don’t even know what engineering is and that remains the biggest barrier to them studying it.

“It rings true to me, I didn’t know what engineering was when I applied to study it. The degree just had the word space in the title, and it drew me through.

She said space was “a gateway, a lure, into the full breadth of STEM fields”.

One final step to get to space

Having been selected by the European Space Agency from more than 22,000 applicants, Bennell-Pegg has received an invitation to join the agency’s human spaceflight program in a proposed partnership with the Australian Government, effectively booking a ticket for an orbital mission on the International Space Station.

The only thing standing in the way of Bennell-Pegg becoming Australia’s first female astronaut in space is $100 million, which must be paid by the Albanese Government.

Dignitaries including Malcolm and Tonya McCusker from the McCusker Foundation, Seven West Media WA chief executive Maryna Fewster, The Nightly and The West Australian editor-in-chief Christopher Dore, and the State’s agent general Rebecca Tomkinson were among those at the Crown Ballroom for the inaugural The Nightly Live on Wednesday.

Deputy premier Rita Saffioti, Simone McGurk, and David Michael were also in attendance on behalf of the Cook Government.