The International Space Centre at The University of Western Australia is leading a grassroots, cross-sector campaign to support our Government in negotiating a human spaceflight mission that would help anchor Australia to the global space economy. The campaign is led by Larissa Wiese, Deputy Director at the International Space Centre, with critical support from Professor Danail Obreschkow (Director of the ISC, ARC Future Fellow), Anntonette Dailey (Director SIAA, CEO Aviation/Aerospace Australia), Lisa Vitaris MBA GAICD CompIEAust EngExec (Founder and CEO, Indo-Pacific Space and former Interim CEO, Space Industry Association of Australia and Director, International Astronautical Congress 2025) and Dr Megan Clark AC (Chancellor Monash University, Former Head of the Australian Space Agency, Former CEO CSIRO). The team is backed by the ISC's Administration Officer, Jessika Anderson, and Dr Catherine Wheller as Communications Lead.

In October 2025, Wiese presented a Federal Advocacy proposal to the Board of the International Space Centre at UWA. It was endorsed with the backing of UWA Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Anna Nowak, and ISC Director, Professor Danail Obreschkow. That approval allowed a small national advocacy group to form. At the same time, similar momentum was building independently in other parts of the country. Individuals and organisations in different states were reaching the same conclusion and had already begun acting on it.

Our first task was to show Government that strong business and public support for the mission already existed. The team began collecting letters of support from across Australia, and they came in from universities, space organisations and businesses, astronauts, industry associations, chief scientists, STEM organisations and senior political figures nationwide. The breadth of that support, cutting across sectors that rarely align so clearly, helped kick off a wider public conversation. Others were working away in the background too, none more notably than Dr Megan Clark AC, known affectionately - and officially - as "Space Agent Number 1," due to her being the inaugural Head of the Australian Space Agency.

When Katherine Bennell-Pegg was named Australian of the Year for 2026, the group submitted a package of nearly 80 letters of support, representing tens of thousands of Australians, to the Prime Minister and senior Cabinet members. It was a clear signal of the country's appetite to deepen its collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), including through an Australian astronaut mission.

Media interest followed quickly and didn't let up. A steady stream of articles and broadcasts tracked the campaign's progress, featuring high-profile voices such as astronauts Dr Andy Thomas and Colonel Pam Melroy, and senior journalists including David Penberthy, alongside a run of national editorials calling for Bennell-Pegg's mission to go ahead. As politicians and businesses lent their support, new angles emerged on the story of Australia's first astronaut trained for long-haul spaceflight. Public understanding grew, and so did the public's voice. This was never just about a ticket to space. It was a chance for the country to unite around something bigger. Even Australia's first female Archbishop, Anglican Archbishop Kay Goldsworthy, made a public appeal in support.

As ESA worked through its March Council meetings in Switzerland, the Australian team was invited to brief representatives from the cross-bench, the Shadow Ministry and the Ministry. It became a genuinely whole-of-government conversation, with support coming from all sides of the political spectrum.

In South Australia, media outlets backed a public letter-writing campaign to the Prime Minister, even finding front-page space for it in the middle of a busy state election.

So where does that leave things? Cabinet now has to decide whether to accept ESA's offer, a decision likely to require support across several portfolios, all of which stand to benefit from what a barter arrangement with ESA could deliver. Industry has also stepped up, with a co-contribution fund kicked off by a $1,000,000 commitment from Jim Whalley, CEO of Nova Systems, followed by another million from Dick Smith. The fund continues to grow, and any business wanting to contribute can get in touch with Dr Megan Clark AC.

Latest updates on the campaign are available here.