Katherine Bennell-Pegg

Katherine Bennell-Pegg is an  Australian Astronaut and Space Systems Engineer. She is the first ever person to be trained as an astronaut under the Australian flag. Katherine was most recently a 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 nation's first Moon rover mission, developing plans to capitalise on Australia's space strengths, and managing the Access to Space Team. She has more than a decade of experience developing space programs and strategies, technologies, and missions across Europe, the UK, the US and Australia. These include the Orion vehicle that is taking humans back to the Moon, space station facilities, earth observation missions and robotic satellite capture technologies. 

Katherine has always dreamed of becoming an astronaut and in early 2023 took the giant leap to achieving that dream when she began astronaut training with the European Space Agency. Katherine currently lives in Germany with her husband and two young daughters while training at the European Astronaut Centre.

Katherine holds four degrees across science (physics major), space and aeronautical engineering. She is passionate about using human spaceflight and space to unlock opportunities for researchers and industry, as well as to inspire the next generation.

Katherine is a keen volunteer, having worked with the Australian Army Reserves, Surf Life Saving, State Emergency Service, and Engineers Without Borders Australia. Her hobbies include scuba diving, flying, reading, backyard astronomy, surfing, sailing, basketball, netball, tennis, hiking and cycling.

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