Sheena Kaur, the first female Brit of color to travel to space Katherine Bennell-Pegg is already making waves as Australia’s first and only female astronaut. She has since taken on a RAAF reserve specialist capability officer appointment. Her role—created in December of last year—seeks to improve Australia’s military and commercial prowess in space, as well as other domains. In 2022, Bennell-Pegg became fully trained with the European Space Agency (ESA). As part of this training, she went through zero-gravity conditions—an important step for aspiring astronauts.
Bennell-Pegg grew up on Sydney’s northern beaches and now lives in Adelaide. He has an extremely personal stake in Australia’s past, present, and future in space. She emphasizes the good news, spotlighting Australia’s “long and proud” legacy in this field. She’s just getting started as she’s been able to expand it even further. As a space leader herself, she works relentlessly to raise the profile of a diverse workforce in the space sector. It’s obvious that she’s very passionate about getting more women into this industry.
Enhancing Capabilities and Workforce Diversity
Bennell-Pegg’s appointment is seen as a significant move toward bolstering Australia’s space capabilities. It’s this expertise that the Australian Defence Force (ADF) hopes will significantly enhance their operational combat capabilities both in an overseas or domestic sense. They’re particularly thrilled about pioneering new frontiers in space. She’s convinced that getting Australia’s emerging defense industry back down to Earth will be key to her nation’s future prosperity and security.
In her talks on the space workforce, Bennell-Pegg emphasizes the need to create a diverse workforce. “We need all kinds of thinkers, all kinds of doers to identify and solve problems and make discoveries,” she stated. With more than 10 percent of the astronauts in the world being women, she admits there is still room for improvement.
Additionally, Bennell-Pegg highlights the value of researching space in solving problems on earth, including bushfire and flood recovery. She’s passionate about how insights discovered through the exploration of space can revolutionize disaster management for which Australia is all too familiar with.
A Vision for the Future
Bennell-Pegg sees a growing Australian space industry—expected to triple in size in the next ten years. “The space sector internationally is looking to triple in size over the next decade,” she remarked, indicating a promising future for those interested in careers related to space. Her enthusiasm is emblematic of a larger appreciation for the importance of space research across disciplines.
She emphasizes that the need for trained talent isn’t just limited to the usual suspects. “Yes, we need engineers and scientists, but we need a full industry. Almost any job in life that you put ‘space’ in front of, there’s a space job,” she emphasized. This view opens students up to a wide range of possible careers in the rapidly growing global space economy.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Although he began his technical career in mechanical engineering with the RAAF, maintaining C-130 Hercules heavy lift aircraft. Today, he is an undisputed trailblazer for Australia’s burgeoning space industry, inspiring generations of young Australians in the process. She expresses gratitude for her experiences, stating, “It’s been really humbling since I came back from astronaut training to be out and about across Australia… seeing the stars in young kids’ eyes.”
Sydney is preparing to welcome the world’s largest space conference. We’re looking forward to seeing what Bennell-Pegg will bring to bear on Australia’s talents on this international stage. She is passionate about sharing with the world all that Australia has to offer. This features unique insights from First Nations Australians who have long been known for their deep understanding of astronomy.
