Aussie astronaut inspires students to dream big

Students across Western Australia are looking to the stars after hearing from Australian of the Year 2026 and astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg during a tour of schools and science centres across the state.

More than 1,000 students from Boulder to Hammond Park attended events where Ms Bennell-Pegg shared how a childhood dream became a career in space science.

“It's great to be here in Perth to get out and about and speak to people, especially young people, about the joys of a STEM career and all the exciting pathways it can take you on,” Ms Bennell-Pegg said.

“When I was at school, I liked lots of subjects. I was a bit of an all-rounder.

“I liked doing lots of sports in particular and wanted to be an astronaut.

“I knew that to be an astronaut, you can have any STEM career. You can be a scientist or an engineer or a doctor or a pilot.

“What I didn't realise was how important it is to learn to work well in teams and I did a lot of sports particularly, but also other extracurriculars, like debating and drama and arts and music and they were equally important.”

Ms Bennell-Pegg’s WA whirlwind visit included:

• an assembly presentation and senior science workshop at Boulder Primary School
• a primary school forum at Scitech’s Planetarium
• a WA Space Science Education Centre forum livestreamed to more than 100 schools.

Students had the opportunity to ask questions about life as an astronaut and the realities of working in space.

They discovered that astronauts on the International Space Station experience up to 17 sunrises and sunsets each day, wattle seeds were the first seeds to sprout in space, and that it is possible to learn Russian in six weeks, something Ms Bennell-Pegg achieved during her training.

She also outlined the broad range of careers supporting the growing space industry.

“An astronaut in space goes up there just as a really visible tip of the iceberg of a huge team on the ground, taking up research in science and technology and education,” she said.

From laser operators and laboratory technicians to engineers and botanists, students heard how careers in the space industry extend far beyond becoming an astronaut.

Ms Bennell-Pegg spoke about Australia’s growing role in space exploration and the possibility of becoming the first person to visit the International Space Station under the Australian flag before the station is deorbited in 2030.

“If I should ever have the opportunity to represent Australia in space, it means more people will know about the opportunity to be involved,” she said.

“For me, being an astronaut was a childhood dream. The stars felt far away though because we didn't even have a space agency in Australia back then.

“But I really wanted to go to space for the adventure of it and the curiosity. I thought the universe was colossal and incredible and so much remains to be discovered.”

“I think it's important when you have a big dream to figure out what it is in your core and your heart that drives you and then use that to keep motivated through the tough times.

“Because, you know, having a big dream, even though it's fun, can be hard work.”