Australia has nominated astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg for a proposed 2028 International Space Station mission, a flight that could make her the first qualified astronaut to travel to space under the Australian flag.
The federal government said it had sent the European Space Agency (ESA) an offer for Bennell-Pegg to join a future station mission, The Guardian reported Friday. The offer is pending; the report did not say ESA had selected her for a crew.
The Guardian identified Bennell-Pegg as Australian of the Year. If the agency accepts the proposal and she flies, it would mark a first for an astronaut who qualified under Australia’s flag. The next step is ESA’s response to the offer.
