Australia is considering entering into a formal cooperation framework with the European Space Agency (ESA) that could enable an orbital mission for Katherine Bennell-Pegg, an Australian-born ESA-trained astronaut.

This would not be a privately purchased “ticket,” but a government-to-government partnership embedded within ESA’s existing human spaceflight program, linking Australian industry, research and technology into mission activities.

Inspirational Australians such as Dr Paul Scully-Power and Dr Andy Thomas flew under United States programs after building their careers in the US system. More recent private individuals have flown on commercial missions.

A mission for Katherine Bennell-Pegg would differ because it would occur under a formal Australian government partnership with ESA. It would embed Australian research, industry contracts and national engagement into the mission itself, rather than being an individual achievement under another nation’s flag.

Australia is one of the most space-dependent economies in the world, relying on satellites for banking, communications, agriculture, weather forecasting, emergency response and national security.

Investment in space capability supports highly-skilled job creation, advanced manufacturing, digital services and export industries. Strengthening Australia’s position in the global space economy contributes to long-term economic resilience and competitiveness.

So why don’t we just invest in other space technology? Because astronauts and space exploration are the are the globally-recognised mechanism for ‘belonging at the table’. To explore space as a human requires a civilisation-advancing amount of technology. This is why all significant space programs that build out sovereign capability include an astronaut component.

The International Space Station is nearing the end of its operational life, astronaut flight opportunities are allocated years in advance, and the European Space Agency is finalising cooperation and mission commitments now. If Australia does not move within this current negotiation and federal budget cycle, the opportunity may not return for many years, and potentially not until a future generation of astronauts is selected. Acting now ensures Australia secures a seat while missions are available.

Katherine Bennell-Pegg is a public servant employed by the Australian Space Agency. The Australian Space Agency is a Commonwealth entity (non-sttutory authority) and cannot publicly comment on matters that may involve Cabinet consideration, budget decisions or international negotiations. Until governments formally agree to a framework, discussions remain at ministerial and agency leadership levels. Public servants cannot lobby for projects.

The precise cost cannot be determined until a formal offer is made and mission parameters are agreed. It’s important to note that this would not be a “ticket purchase” - but a cooperation framework based on contribution and return.

Human spaceflight partnerships typically operate on a barter model, where nations contribute funding, technology, infrastructure or services in exchange for astronaut flight opportunities and industrial return. For example:

• The Canadian Space Agency secured astronaut flights by contributing advanced robotics (Canadarm systems) to international missions.

• The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency gained astronaut access through major hardware and module contributions to the International Space Station

Cooperation with the European Space Agency operates under its long-standing “juste retour” (just return) principle. This means that member or partner state contributions are largely returned to that country through industrial contracts, research activity and capability development. In other words, investment is structured to flow back into the national economy rather than leaving it.

Any Australian participation would be negotiated within this framework, designed to embed Australian science and industry into missions and generate downstream economic and strategic return, rather than representing a one-off expense.

It’s important to note that the barter technology can be supplied by adjacent industries.

For example, JAXA are working with Toyota to provide an EV for the moon.

This will be a decision for the Australian Government. Any mission involving Katherine Bennell-Pegg would require a formal government-to-government agreement with the European Space Agency, along with budget approval through the Commonwealth process. The authority to enter into international agreements and allocate funding sits with Cabinet and relevant ministers.

This would be the first step towards creating an opportunity for Australia to have an open call for astronauts, but the process would take far too long for this opportunity. When Bennell-Pegg applied to the European Space Agency astronaut selection process, it was one of the most competitive in history, attracting more than 22,000 applicants across Europe and partner nations. She was selected on merit through that rigorous international process and is now a fully qualified astronaut. Establishing a standalone Australian astronaut selection program would require significant long-term infrastructure and funding; partnering through ESA enables Australia to access human spaceflight capability through an existing world-class system rather than duplicating it.

Bennell-Pegg is already qualified; one of only around one hundred people in the world qualified to execute a long-duration mission on the International Space Station. She is a fully trained career astronaut selected through the European Space Agency’s highly competitive astronaut process, which is one of the most rigorous selection programs in the world. She has completed basic astronaut training with ESA, meaning she is mission-ready within an established international program.

Katy Perry’s flight with Blue Origin was a short, privately-funded suborbital experience lasting only minutes and designed as commercial space tourism. A mission for Katherine Bennell-Pegg would be an orbital mission of weeks-long duration conducting scientific research under a formal government-to-government partnership. This delivers long-term national benefits in science, industry and sovereign capability, and not limited to just a symbolic moment