Katherine Bennell-Pegg became the first Australian Astronaut (under the Australian flag), when she graduated from the European Space Agency’s 13-month Astronaut Basic Training in April 2024 as a professionally qualified astronaut and member of ‘The Hoppers’ class, following her successfully passing the 2022 ESA astronaut selection process, which had over 22500 applicants. This also makes her the first Australian woman to have qualified as a professional astronaut. Since returning to Australia in mid-2024, Katherine has travelled across every state and territory to inform and inspire the public about space and STEM opportunities. She has reached new audiences, with a potential media reach of over 120M by the end of 2024.
Previously, Katherine was Director of Space Technology at the Australian Space Agency, where she contributed to growing Australia’s space capability through being technical lead on scoping the Moon to Mars Trailblazer “Roo-ver” lunar mission, developing plans to capitalise on Australia’s space and technology strengths, and managing the Access to Space team (including satellite, infrastructure and launch capability uplift activities).
Katherine’s career as a space systems engineer spans near to 15 years in space agencies and industry developing space programs and strategies, technologies, and missions (all phases and covering robotics, human spaceflight, in-situ resource utilisation, robotic space debris removal, earth observation, exploration, microgravity payloads and science) across six countries (including those in Europe, UK, US and Australia). These include the Orion vehicle that is taking humans back to the Moon, space station facilities, earth observation and science missions and robotic satellite capture technologies.
Katherine holds four degrees across science (physics major), space and aeronautical engineering, as well as an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering. She is a Group Captain with the Air Force Reserve, and was previously a member of the Australian Army Reserve where she received the Sword of Honour for graduating first place in her class.
She is also a keen volunteer, currently with SA Surf Life Saving, and previously with the NSW State Emergency Service and Engineers Without Borders Australia. She also regularly mentors junior space engineers. Her hobbies have included scuba diving, flying, surfing, basketball, sports coaching, tennis, reading, hiking and cycling. She contributes also as a delegate of the American-Australian Leadership Dialogue and as a Karman Fellow.
For her contributions and achievements, Katherine has received such awards as: SALIFE Person of the Year 2024, Sydney University’s International Alumni Achievement Award 2024, and the Lulea Institute of Technology Alumnus of the Year 2024. She was also an Australian’s Australian of the Year 2023 nominee, the Woman of the Year and OCPSE Leader of the Year in the ‘Adelaide Advertiser Sunday Mail and Sky City Woman of the Year’ Awards 2023.
Katherine is passionate about using human spaceflight and space to unlock opportunities for researchers and industry, grow Australia’s STEM workforce, and help raise the level of aspiration amongst the next generation.
She lives in West Beach, Adelaide, with her husband and two young daughters.
