Prime Minister Anthony Albanese publicly supported the offer from the European Space Agency on David and Will’s show on FIVEAA: “What we're doing as a government, through our science ministry, but also through foreign affairs, is having a word. More than a word, we are lobbying hard, with the Europeans (which would be what [the mission] is a part of).

“I want to see a positive outcome.”

Annie Fogarty AM is Chairperson and co-founder of the Fogarty Foundation which she established with her husband Brett in 2000.  The Foundation is a social venturer providing educational opportunities to help build strong communities in Western Australia. Thank you to Annie for this passionate Op Ed in The West Australian on the need to support a human spaceflight mission with ESA.

A “self-confessed space nerd” Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles has championed Australia’s astronaut while dodging the $100 million question that could launch her career into orbit.

Former Defence Force chief andGovernor-GeneralPeter Cosgrove explained to 6PR Breakfast hosts Millsy and Karl that he is not suggesting we finance Americans going to space, but rather pay our part to give Australia’s leading astronaut the opportunity she deserves.

“It’s like having a star performer in the AFL, a Brownlow Medal winner every time but you don’t let them on the field because you can’t pay their salary,” he said.

Former Defence Force chief and governor-general Peter Cosgrove has written to Anthony Albanese urging the commonwealth to back the bid to send Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg into space.

In an impassioned letter, Sir Peter makes a defence-based argument for supporting the request from the European Space Agency for Bennell-Pegg to join the mission, saying that as an AUKUS partner the benefits to Australia’s national security and economic wellbeing will be enormous.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The South Australian Premier told Sunrise he has already told the Federal Government that South Australia is willing to partner where they can, because they do “think it should be a national effort that inspires generations of kids to do the things that we need them to do for the good of country in the future - apart from the fact that we want this industry to grow.”

Space fanatics hope ‘moon joy’ from NASA’s Artemis II mission will spark lift-off for Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg.

The Federal Government is considering an invitation from the European Space Agency for the Australian of the Year to have a place on a spaceflight to the International Space Station.

"We would love to see Katherine Bennell-Pegg get into space. Australia should have its place in the world. We are a first-world economy.

"We're a country that has to improve its economic complexity and the space industry is a very clear path to do that, and we don't want to be missing out on that growth opportunity."

In an April 7 letter to Anthony Albanese, seen by The Australian, the entrepreneur urged the Prime Minister to personally support an Australian partnership with the European Space Agency, and said the Dick and Pip Smith Foundation would contribute $1m if the government moved this financial year.

Deputy Director International Space Centre Larissa Wiese speaks to Monika Kos about the intense public interest in Artemis II and the #FlyKatherine campaign.

The spectacular launch of the Artemis II Moon mission has prompted Australian resident Novel prize-winner in physics Brian Schmidt to appeal to Australian governments to send SA’s Katherine Bennell-Pegg to space.

The federal Government should “think big” and invest $100m in a mission to send South Australian Katherine Bennell-Pegg into space, says a Nobel prize-winning astronomer.

Private companies are putting in cash, universities are mobilising, and now its up to our leaders to act.

The European Space Agency boss has praised Australia’s first astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg as negotiations continue over a $100 million mission that would send her to space.

International Space Centre deputy director Riss Wiese joined David & Will for Breaking at 8 to discuss the benefits of sending Katherine Bennell-Pegg to space and when the decision has to be made. 

Australia now faces a crucial deadline to secure whether astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg will blast into orbit.

Photo Credit: Eugene Hyland

Australian aerospace and defence firm Nova Systems has pledged $1 million to support efforts to send Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg to the International Space Station, a mission that would mark a historic milestone for the nation’s space sector.

Photo Credit: Eugene Hyland

The Premier is tonight throwing his support behind calls to send Australia’s only astronaut to train under our flag into space. Peter Malinouskas warns there’s only a small window of opportunity to accept this rarest of offers.

Photo Credit: Channel Nine

Nova Systems has given a $1 million commitment to support national efforts to send Australian astronaut and 2026 Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg to the International Space Station.

Photo Credit: Nova Systems

Having started the national campaign for social media ­reforms, South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas is now urging every government in Australia to get behind the push to send astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg into space.

Photo Credit: Eugene Hyland Australian Space Agency

7NEWS can exclusively reveal that an Adelaide company is helping South Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg reach for the stars.

The mission is to send her to the International Space Station.

Photo Credit: Seven News Adelaide

Kids are urging the Prime Minister to back Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg on a history-making space mission. Send your message of support.

Photo Credit: Eleni Tzanos, The Advertiser

Former NASA astronaut Andy Thomas has thrown his support behind the campaign to send Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg into space, writing a direct plea to Anthony Albanese to fund the project.

Photo Credit: The Australian

Katherine Bennell-Pegg was invited on a space mission

The Australian Government has until March 18 to respond

The Australian government has just over one week to agree to send Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg to space, but the cost has some worried.

Interview on the campaign begins at 26:56

Thank you to Rae Johnson.
Photo Credit: ABC

Students in Adelaide are firing off letters to Prime Minister, urging him to back South Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg on a history-making space mission.

Photo Credit: Eleni Tzanos, The Advertiser

NSW Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Anoulack Chanthivong, has thrown his support behind a recent public campaign to send Australian of the Year, RAAF group captain and astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg on a space mission.

Photo Credit: Michael Goh

NSW Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology, Anoulack Chanthivong, has thrown his support behind a recent public campaign to send Australian of the Year RAAF Group Captain and astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg on a space mission.

Sport brings nations together. But this space idea is the kind of nation-building endeavour which has the capacity to make our nation more intelligent and more affluent.

To put it in its budgetary context, the cost of this project is one-eleventh of what it will cost to build a roofed AFL football stadium in Hobart.

And it is a truly amazing enterprise, but one where the clock is ticking, as the Albanese government has less than four weeks to respond to the European Space Agency which has specifically invited Bennell-Pegg to take part in a mission aboard the soon to be decommissioned International Space Station.

Photo Credit: Brenton Edwards, The Advertiser

The Australian: Editorial Astronaut and Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg deserves the chance to put her training to good use on a worthwhile project – in space. The Albanese government has just four weeks to consider an invitation by the European Space Agency, where Ms Bennell-Pegg excelled at her studies, for her to join a mission on the International Space Station. It would be a milestone, the first mission by an Australian astronaut under the Australian flag.

Photo Credit: Australian Space Agency

“The ESA partnership is clearly going to be beneficial to Australia. Any contribution the nation makes to the program will flow back in contracts to that country. So this is about plugging into that space industry eco system that will get paid back to Australian industry to participate in future ESA programs. There is a return on ­investment which is a very clear ­financial return,” said Melroy.

Photo Credit: Australian Space Agency

The International Space Centre at The University of Western Australia is leading a cross-sector campaign seeking government support for a human spaceflight mission to help anchor Australia to the global space economy.

The campaign includes universities, industry associations, chief scientists, STEM organisations and senior political figures from across the country, reflecting rare cross-sector alignment around the strategic importance of space.

Photo Credit: Larissa Wiese

A cross-sector campaign led by the International Space Centre at The University of Western Australia is seeking federal government support for an Australian human spaceflight mission, positioning it as a strategic step to anchor the nation in the rapidly expanding global space economy.

Photo Credit: Michael Goh

A public and industry-led campaign has been launched to implore the Australian government to partner with the European Space Agency in sending Australian of the Year and astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg on a space mission.

Photo Credit: LAC Ryan Howell

The race is on to get 2026 Australian of the Year astronaut Katherine Bennell Pegg on the next mission to the International Space Centre. But time is ticking to get the 41 year old on a space mission. A consortium of industry, mining and university leaders are making a big push to the Prime Minister to gain government support for Ms Bennell Pegg to secure a seat on a mission to the International Space Station.

Photo Credit: Australian Space Agency