Katherine Bennell-Pegg is an Australian astronaut and space systems engineer. She is the first professional astronaut to officially represent Australia and the 2026 Australian of the Year.
Katherine graduated from the European Space Agency's 13-month Astronaut Basic Training in April 2024 as one of six members of 'The Hoppers' class. The European Space Agency invited Katherine to train, after she was one of 25 people who successfully passed the 2022 ESA astronaut selection process from more than 22,500 applicants.
Katherine is a Director at the Australian Space Agency, where she has contributed to growing Australia's space capability as 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 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 as part of the Artemis program, 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 at the Royal Military College, Duntroon.
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.
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.