Mum makes history as first person under the Aussie flag to become a fully qualified astronaut

A trailblazing* South Australian mum has made history by becoming the first person under the Australian flag to graduate from astronaut training.

Katherine Bennell-Pegg, 39, achieved the one-of-a-kind milestone* last week with the European Space Agency.

As a fully qualified astronaut, Ms Bennell-Pegg has now become one of few people in the world who are endorsed* for spaceflight and missions to the International Space Station.

She was one of six people selected in November 2022 to participate in a year-long basic astronaut training program, which began in Germany in April last year.

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 said.

“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, who is also the Director of Space Technology at the Australian Space Agency in Adelaide, 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.

Other Australians have previously qualified as astronauts but not under the Australian flag.

She launched her career in late 2019 when she started working at the agency, then applied to join the European Astronaut Corp in 2021. She is now Director of Space Technology at the Australian Space Agency.

Her boss Enrico Palermo, who heads up the Australian Space Agency, said everyone 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.”

POLL

GLOSSARY

• trailblazing: being the first to do something and creating a path for others to follow
• milestone: a significant event in your life
• endorsed: recommended
• propel: to push forward
• engineers: people who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or structures
• ecosystem: a community or group of living organisms that live in and interact with each other in a specific environment
• brimming: full to the point of overflowing

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QUICK QUIZ
1. Why is Ms Bennell-Pegg’s achievement a one-of-a-kind milestone?
2. Where did she train (name the agency and country)?
3. What skills did she learn?
4. What is the next historic step she wants to take?
5. What is her work title in Australia?

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CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Path to an Astronaut
If you aspire to become a fully qualified astronaut, like this amazing woman, what subjects and fields do you think you should study in secondary school and then university to begin your career?

Subjects to study at secondary school:

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University subject or degree:

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How possible is it for the young generation of today to follow their dreams into space flight?
Is this a career you could see yourself or someone you know pursuing in the future?

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and social, Critical and creative thinking.

2. Extension
What sort of person and attributes would you need to gain the qualifications that Ms Bennell-Pegg has?

List the professional and personality traits below that you would need to become a fully qualified astronaut:

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Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and social, Critical and creative thinking.

VCOP ACTIVITY
1. Summarise the article
A summary can be a really good way to grab the main idea plus some key points in the article as a highlight.

Think of the summary like a little advertisement or extract you could use to encourage people to read the article in detail.

You want to give them an overview of the article that includes the main idea (being able to tell the audience what the article is about in one sentence), plus a few of the key points of the information.

Remember to re-read your summary to check that it is clear, concise and makes sense to the audience who haven’t read the article yet. You need to make language choices that allow you to explain the information in only a few sentences.