Katherine Bennell-Pegg has become the first astronaut to represent the Australian flag.

The engineer and mother of two has finished her 12-month training program at the European Astronaut Centre in Germany and is now a qualified astronaut.

The European Space Agency takes on five new astronauts out of 22,500 applicants, yearly. Bennell-Pegg was one of the six graduates who received their graduation certificates at a special ceremony in Cologne, Germany. The Australian Space Agency paid $466,000 for Bennell-Pegg’s year’s training in Germany.

“I’m filled with gratitude, because this isn’t my accomplishment alone,” she said.

“Throughout my life, throughout this year, I’ve been very well supported by my family, by my schools, by my colleagues.”

Although Bennell-Pegg is qualified for missions to the International Space Station, there are no planned missions for her yet. Instead, she joins a group of “space-ready” people who are eligible for consideration.

“While I might be the first to represent Australia, I certainly am determined to not be the last. I look forward to creating more opportunities for others to follow in the future,” she told the ABC. 

“It’s a really exciting time to be involved in space flight so the future is open, and I’m optimistic, but one step at a time.”

Bennell-Pegg will travel to Adelaide to work for the Australian Space Agency and will train for missions to the International Space Station.

Photo: International Space Station by John Carrel is available HERE and is used under a Creative Commons License. This image has not been modified.