Australia is edging closer to sending one of its own astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time, in what would mark a historic step for the nation’s space ambitions.
Speaking at the Indian Ocean Defence and Security conference at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre, Australia's first female astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg revealed the Australian government had begun discussions with the European Space Agency for an Australian mission to the ISS.
“In what I think is an exciting development, the Australian government is engaging with the European Space Agency… about a potential astronaut mission to the International Space Station for the first time, truly considering an Australian astronaut mission,” Ms Bennell-Pegg told the audience.
She was careful to stress that discussions were still in the early stages and no mission has yet been confirmed.
“I’d like to be clear that it’s just discussions that have begun. There’s no guaranteed outcome of a mission, but I’m motivated by what it could unlock for Australian R&D, industry and the next generation, and also for defense, Australia’s national resilience and national security,” she said.
Ms Bennell-Pegg framed the potential ISS mission as the next chapter in a story that began nearly six decades ago.
In 1967, Australia became the fourth nation in the world to launch its own satellite from its own soil, when WRESAT-1 lifted off from Woomera in South Australia.
That achievement, she said, was powered by a uniquely Australian blend of grit, practical engineering and a healthy scepticism toward the word “impossible.”
Now, as the global space sector undergoes rapid geographic, strategic and commercial change, Australia is seeking not merely to participate, but to reclaim a stronger place within it.
“Space is fundamental to our way of life,” she said, describing it as “invisible infrastructure” that underpins weather forecasting, navigation, communications and modern defence operations.
From microgravity laboratories like the ISS to deep-space exploration programs such as Artemis, she argued, space exploration is the engine room of innovation for the entire sector and an increasingly vital contributor to economic growth and national security.
"Astronauts are utilised by our nations to further diplomatic relations and strategic partnerships, to raise the profile of the country’s ingenuity, to domestically reinvigorate trust in science and evidence-based decision making, to increase national pride, and to excite people, especially young people, about opportunities in technical fields in STEM,” she said.
Bennell-Pegg also warned that while Australians rely on space every day, most people do not appreciate how vulnerable that dependence can be.
She pointed to a 2023 incident in which a failure in a single satellite signal from Inmarsat left farmers in Australia and New Zealand unable to use GPS-guided machinery during the crucial harvest season.
“The Department of Home Affairs noted… that services from space are so pervasive that they disappear into the background, and the risk is their importance is not sufficiently understood,” she said.
“In other words, the risk is that we take them for granted, leading to vulnerabilities.”
She said part of her role, including through her Australian of the Year platform, was to help “moderate the national conversation about space” and explain to the public why investment in space capability matters.
“We do this so that the Australian public understand why space is important,” she said.
“This gives Defence the rhetorical space to explain why investment in defence space capabilities is in Australia’s best interest.”
Space, she said, is also a powerful tool for building the workforce Australia will need for both civil and defence industries.
“Space is a gateway passion for the entire STEM workforce,” she said.
“I’ve never seen a kid turn up to a princess party dressed up as a blockchain or as an AI.
"Kids are drawn to space and to technical fields through a fascination for space, and then they stick with STEM long enough to see other opportunities that might grab them as well in other areas.”
