Katherine Bennell-Pegg launches 2027 Australian of the Year Awards’ campaign during tour of Western Australia
2026 Australian of the Year and Australia’s first astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, joined Auspire to launch the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards‘ campaign in Western Australia.
Katherine was the special guest at Auspire’s launch breakfast, which was attended by our network of Australian of the Year alumni, ambassadors and supporters, at Forrest Hall. During the event, Katherine spoke about her journey to become an astronaut and then the Australian of the Year – acknowledging that the recognition came from one nomination from another mother at her daughter’s school.
“From one nomination, a whole future has opened up for me and hopefully for others that I can unlock this future for,” said Katherine. “The 2027 Australian of the Year is out there somewhere. I look forward to meeting them.”
During Katherine’s tour of WA, which also saw her meet and speak to industry professionals and inspired students in Perth and Kalgoorlie-Boulder, it was revealed that, as Australia’s one and only astronaut, Katherine has been invited by the European Space Agency to join a mission to the International Space Station.
This mission would be the first time an astronaut has travelled into space under the Australian flag – a role for which Katherine has undergone intense training, including zero gravity and emergency response.
To turn the invitation into reality, the International Space Centre at The University of Western Australia is leading grassroots, cross-sector campaign #flyKatherine to support the Australian Government negotiate a human spaceflight mission to help anchor Australia to the global space economy.
View all the photos from this event on Flickr.