Trailblazing astronaut named Australian of the Year
When Katherine Bennell-Pegg was a little girl, she looked at the stars and dreamed of leaving the world.
Now, he has been awarded one of the country’s highest awards.
In 2024, Ms Bennell-Pegg qualified to travel to space, becoming the first Australian to do so under her own flag.
The trailblazing aerospace engineer has been recognized for his achievements on the national stage and won the 2026 Australian of the Year award.
Although she hasn’t been to space yet, Ms. Bennell-Pegg says she’s ready to do so when the opportunity arises.
“As I grew up, I was fascinated by the stars above me, but they seemed so far away,” he told reporters in Canberra on Sunday afternoon, before his award was announced.
“Seven in 10 Australian children under the age of 12 want to go to space. It makes me very sad to be in this position.”
He said he was inspired by astronauts Paul Scully-Power and Andy Thomas, who grew up in Australia but traveled to space as American citizens in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
Ms Bennell-Pegg said she hoped to use the award to inspire young people to follow their dreams.
“There’s never been a pathway for Australian astronauts before. So hopefully what I’m doing is opening that door even further for more to follow,” he said.
Born in Sydney, Ms Bennell-Pegg grew up on the city’s northern beaches and studied aeronautical engineering and physics at the University of Sydney.
Later, he received two master’s degrees in Europe and was invited to receive astronaut training at the European Space Agency in 2021.
She became the first Australian and the country’s first female astronaut to graduate from the program in 2024.
The 41-year-old now calls Adelaide home, where he volunteers at the West Beach Surf Life Saving club.
He was also appointed as an Air Force reserve officer in December 2024.
He takes over the Australian of the Year title from AFL legend Neale Daniher, who was awarded the honor in 2025 for his work raising more than $100 million for motor neurone disease research.
Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Local Hero awards were also handed out on Sunday night.
Former electrician-turned-ultramarathon runner Nedd Brockmann won the Young Australian category, known for running from Perth to Sydney to raise money for a homeless charity.
Pioneering dementia researcher Henry Brodaty has won the Senior Australian of the Year award for his work identifying cost-effective, targeted interventions to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
The local hero award went to West Australian Noongar man Frank Mitchell, who has created more than 70 skills-training roles for Indigenous people in the construction and electrical industries.
