Katherine Bennell-Pegg, the first astronaut trained under the Australian flag, will touch down in Western Australia next month to share insights from her astronaut training and inspire students to pursue STEM careers.
"Western Australia has a lot of expertise and potential to contribute even further to global space missions – from cutting-edge research to harnessing the know-how of the resources sector."
Katherine Bennell-Pegg / Australian astronaut
The University Western Australia's International Space Centre is working with the Australian Space Agency to bring Ms Bennell-Pegg to Perth from 27 August to September 2 to share knowledge from her time at the European Space Agency.
She completed her astronaut training at the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Germany in April, making history as the first candidate from an international partner to receive basic training from the European Space Agency. Ms Bennell-Pegg was selected from 22,500 applicants and became one of only six to graduate, making her space-flight ready.
Image: The sky's the limit... Katherine Bennell-Pegg in training.
Now back at the Australian Space Agency, Ms Bennell-Pegg will meet student researchers from all five Western Australian universities, supported by the Forrest Research Foundation, a world- leading collaborative centre of research and scholarship in Western Australia. Scholars will have the opportunity to attend a dinner with her at Forrest Hall to gain insight into the impact of research on the space sector.
Ms Bennell-Pegg said she was excited to visit Western Australia as part of her mission to inspire the next generation STEM workforce, and share insights from her astronaut training with local industry.
"Western Australia has a lot of expertise and potential to contribute even further to global space missions – from cutting-edge research to harnessing the know-how of the resources sector," she said.
"That in turn improves life on Earth – whether it's health breakthroughs, responding to climate change, uplifting our industries, or energising our kids to dream big and develop the skills needed to solve future challenges."
Image: Over the moon... Katherine (fourth from left) and colleagues at the European Astronaut Centre capture the moment.
Ms Bennell-Pegg will also engage with WA high school students through school visits and live-streamed events, answering questions about her astronaut training experience and Australia's specific strengths in the space sector.
She will feature at two public events at the WA Museum Boola Bardip, including headlining this year's Ngalang Koort ("Our Heart") Conversation series at the Museum on Wednesday 28 August. In it she will explain why space matters to Australia and the importance of Australia's active role in space exploration.
On Saturday 31 August, Ms Bennell-Pegg will appear in the 'To the Moon' exhibition at Boola Bardip, in a special, family-friendly 'Ask an Astronaut' event.
During her trip she will also speak to industry and business representative partners about opportunities for Australia to contribute to global space missions, including in human spaceflight. Space can be a potent incubator for technology, but more importantly, attract a skilled and motivated workforce.
