The federal government has submitted an offer to the European Space Agency (ESA) to send Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg to the International Space Station.
If ESA agrees to Australia's offer, Ms Bennell-Pegg will be required to attend training at the European Space Agency’s astronaut training centre in Cologne, Germany, and NASA facilities in the United States.
"We have submitted a final bid to our friends in the European Space Agency," Science Minister Tim Ayres said on Friday morning.
"We are grateful for the opportunity to apply for this important project. It is an important opportunity. It does require careful fiscal management and making sure that we are balancing the fiscal pressures appropriately."
Read the update on ABC