Australia offers astronaut Bennell-Pegg for 2028 International Space Station mission

Australia’s federal government has formally offered the European Space Agency a 2028 International Space Station flight for astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg. The Guardian reported the offer on Oct. 22, 2026, and Mirage News reported it on Oct. 23, 2026.

Bennell-Pegg serves as the Australian Space Agency’s space technology director and completed European Space Agency astronaut training in 2024, roughly two years ahead of the 2028 offer. The Guardian identified her role at the agency and noted she completed ESA astronaut training two years prior to the mission offer. The Australian Space Agency paid 466,000 dollars for her training at the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. Richard de Grijs of Macquarie University said the government had contributed to her education, and The Guardian gave the figure and the place.*

Earlier Australian-born astronauts flew without representing Australia. Andy Thomas and Paul Scully-Power flew as citizens of the United States on NASA missions, and dual citizen Elaine Hyde took a suborbital flight on Blue Origin’s NS-30 mission the year before. The Guardian presented this history to show she is not Australia’s first astronaut but the first to qualify under its own flag. The Guardian’s account placed the new offer in the context of Australia’s existing astronaut history.

In May 2026, the Australian Space Agency announced treaty-level talks with the European Space Agency to create a formal framework for closer cooperation between Australia and Europe. The Guardian said these talks came before the formal offer for Bennell-Pegg’s flight to the station.

In August 2026, science minister Tim Ayres and assistant science minister Andrew Charlton wrote to state and territory leaders asking them to work with the federal government to pay for the mission. The letter, reported by The Australian, sought state and territory support for an Australian mission built around locally developed experiments and technology.

South Australia, home to the Australian Space Agency’s headquarters, has publicly backed Bennell-Pegg’s bid to fly. The Guardian pointed to South Australia’s support and quoted its premier describing it as a national endeavour. Philanthropists have committed more than 6 million dollars, in cash and in-kind support, with certain indicative backing from some state governments, science minister Tim Ayres said.*

Entrepreneurs Dick Smith and Jim Whalley each pledged 1 million dollars toward the mission, and former prime minister Kevin Rudd posted on social media that the undertaking makes long-term economic sense for Australia. Tim Ayres’s office had earlier called the European Space Agency offer very expensive and said no government could fund it alone.*

Macquarie University physics and astronomy professor Richard de Grijs said Bennell-Pegg is qualified after significant training and is ready to fly if a suitable mission comes up. The Guardian said de Grijs evaluated her readiness and noted the government had already helped pay for her education. He asked whether the inspirational worth of launching Australia’s first national astronaut justifies 100 million dollars, calling it a large sum but suggesting returns could exceed the estimate.*

Darin Lovett, who chairs the Space Industry Association of Australia, said the industry has shown returns on investment and called around 100 million dollars a down payment on Australia’s future in this industry. The Guardian said Lovett compared the cost to less than one coffee for each Australian adult. Peter Malinauskus, the premier of South Australia, said his state is ready to partner with the Commonwealth as part of a national endeavour and that seeing Australia’s first flagged astronaut in space would inspire young people to study STEM fields.*

Ryan Winn, who leads Science & Technology Australia, called the proposed 2028 mission an investment in the nation’s scientific capability and future STEM workforce. Mirage News said Winn called it the embodiment of Ambitious Australia and a backing of Australian people and scientific expertise. Winn said the mission could offer Australian researchers and businesses chances to try work in orbit, work with international partners, convert research into new technologies, develop expertise at home, and boost Australia’s role in the global space industry.

He added that the mission might inspire more young Australians to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics, with motivated students potentially becoming engineers, researchers, and scientists. Bennell-Pegg mentors participants in Science & Technology Australia’s Superstars of STEM program and has helped women and non-binary scientists build visibility and confidence. Winn said the government’s offer, together with backing from philanthropists and industry, brings the opportunity closer and he hopes to reach an agreement to create lasting benefits for Australian science and technology.

Mirage News ended with Winn’s call to reach an agreement with ESA. In a speech in 2026, Bennell-Pegg said space serves as an opening and an attraction across the whole range of STEM subjects, especially for anyone who dreams of traveling there. De Grijs said Australia also takes part in inspirational spaceflight through Roo-ver, an Australian-built lunar rover set to travel to the Moon on a NASA mission in 2030.