The Astronaut Next Door: A Tale of Unlikely Ambition Katherine Bennell Pegg, the 2026 Australian of the Year and director of space technology at the Australian Space Agency, made history as Australia's first female astronaut.
Her journey is a testament to the boundless potential that lies within every young person.
Growing up in Sydney's northern beaches, she spent hours gazing at the stars with her mother, dreaming of "big, beautiful space missions.