Katherine Bennell-Pegg Inspires Nation With Stellar Achievement
Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Australia’s first qualified astronaut, has been awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the 2026 Australian of the Year award. The 41-year-old aerospace engineer made history in 2024 by graduating from Basic Astronaut Training at the European Astronaut Centre in Germany. Bennell-Pegg’s journey to becoming an astronaut was driven by a childhood dream and a methodical approach to building a career in space exploration. She now aims to inspire Australian students to pursue STEM careers and open doors for scientists and engineers to utilize space for their discoveries. This achievement was first reported by AeroTime.