Katherine Bennell-Pegg

Katherine Bennell-Pegg
Bennell-Pegg in 2025
Born (1984-12-15) 15 December 1984
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Education
OccupationsAstronaut, space engineer, bureaucrat
EmployerAustralian Space Agency
Space career
RankGroup captain (honorary), Royal Australian Air Force
Selection

Katherine Bennell-Pegg (born 15 December 1984) is an Australian space engineer and qualified astronaut, although she has not as yet flown in space. As of 2025 she is director of space technology at the Australian Space Agency, an Australian government agency. In 2024, she became the first qualified astronaut under the Australian flag as well as the first female Australian to be trained as an astronaut. In January 2026 she was named 2026 Australian of the Year.