Sending Katherine Bennell-Pegg to space should be a small step forward for one woman that enables Australia to take giant leaps in the space sector.
Australia has the chance to send Bennell-Pegg, its first female astronaut and the 2026 Australian of the Year, into space through the European Space Agency (ESA). The national benefit of doing so would outweigh the cost.
The estimated A$100 million cost of a flight to the International Space Station with the ESA sounds like a lot. But the government should consider it a worthy investment, as the endeavour would both inspire the nation and ensure Australia is a global player in one of the most important strategic frontiers.
The mission would draw investment into Australia’s growing commercial space sector, building confidence in the sector’s future. It would also show allies and partners that Australia won’t just be a passive onlooker in humanity’s next steps in space. Just as there is an active debate about the need for Australia to be an active player in the field of AI, Australia should be an active participant in space. This is particularly important given the sector’s role in so many aspects of our daily lives, from satellite communications and transportation to climate monitoring and missile warning systems. Australia needs to be involved, including by having an Australian astronaut in space, not stuck on the ground.
A decision not to support this opportunity for Bennell-Pegg to fly to orbit would undermine confidence that we are serious about supporting space endeavours. This would be a step backwards for the nation.
Australia is an old and new space power, with its space heritage dating back to the era of the Apollo missions. Australia launched rockets from Woomera in the 1960s while supporting NASA Moon landings through its ground facilities. As humans return to the Moon and commercial space transforms economies and societies, that heritage is the foundation now supporting Australia’s globally visible role in an emerging golden age of human space exploration.
Australia is well placed to shape national space activities and a stronger defence focus on the space domain. The Australian Space Agency, established in 2018, can guide this development. Australia’s commercial space sector is also growing but needs direction and momentum. For Australia to achieve success and prosperity – both in terms of building its nascent space sector and more broadly benefiting from space – it must embrace bold ambitions and have achievable goals while inspiring the next generation of space leaders in industry and government sectors.
The government’s Statement on Space, released on 21 July, talks of building ‘an enduring space ecosystem that supports Australia’s economic resilience and security, is globally competitive, and secures our place in a changing world.’ An Australian presence in space would strengthen that vision. Imagine, as humans return to the Moon in the coming decade, an Australian astronaut standing on the lunar surface as a member of a future Artemis mission. Such a possibility would tell all Australians, young and old, that we can do more than simply look on as others embrace their future in space. But we don’t get to realise that giant leap as a nation without taking that first small step.
Australia is also invested in how space is governed. In an era described as one of strategic competition among democracies and autocracies, space is a central part of the tension, as it was in the Cold War. Australia has a role to play in ensuring that space is safe, secure and sustainable for national and global economic and strategic stability.
As a middle space power, Australia is focused more on civil space activities, technological development and international partnerships than on engaging in human space or broader space exploratory missions. But it is heavily reliant on space, including in telecommunications, Earth observation and navigation. The growth and diversity of space security threats – including kinetic anti-satellite weapons, cyber and electronic warfare methods and the potential risks from space logistics technologies – call for newer global governance measures. These haven’t been easy to agree on, and the process of revising space governance is still in its infancy. This means that Australia will need to work with various partners to provide active inputs on how international policy and regulatory frameworks are designed to restrict malevolent space activities. This will be easier if Australia is seen as a credible space player.
The mission with the ESA would also be a collaborative endeavour with Australia’s European partners. This would open doors to more progressive cooperation in advanced manufacturing, joint research partnerships and technological advancements. As Australia joins Horizon Europe, the European Union’s research and innovation fund worth almost 100 billion euros, such collaboration makes economic sense. The mission would also boost Australia’s science and technology engagement and inspire the next generation towards the pursuit of space and critical technologies.
Supporting Bennell-Pegg’s inclusion in a European space mission would offer Australia visibility and highlight its role as a credible, capable and invested space power. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Australia to showcase its scientific wherewithal.
