Aussie astronaut flies with Roulettes

Group Captain Katherine Bennell-Pegg – Australia’s first female astronaut and the 2026 Australian of the Year – took flight with the Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes. 

CAPTION: Group Captain Katherine Bennell-Pegg Director of Space Technology of Australian Space Agency takes a photo with Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes pilots after her flight in a RAAF PC-21 Pilatus during a visit to RAAF Base East Sale, Victoria. Story by Flying Officer Leonie Midgley. Photo by Aircraftwoman Grace Hanlon.

Group Captain Bennell-Pegg swapped her space suit for a flying suit after accepting an invitation from Roulette Three Flight Lieutenant Kendall ‘Nugget’ Dransfield to experience high-performance flying and how the Roulettes work as a team. 

By continuing her work with the RAAF, Group Captain Bennell-Pegg remains match fit for space and is progressing her space-related capabilities by being immersed in the high-performing Roulettes.

While the job title of an astronaut or a pilot is impressive, it is the hard work and dedication required to achieve this career that is the true feat. 

Group Captain Bennell-Pegg spoke with students at RAAF Base East Sale about her journey, what it took to be an astronaut, and the similarities of working in high-performance environments and complex situations, emphasising the positive impact science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) had in establishing her career. 

“STEM has been absolutely critical to my journey to become an astronaut,” Group Captain Bennell-Pegg said. 

“At school, science and maths (technical subjects) give you the tools that you need to be empowered to solve problems you care about, to make discoveries that excite you and to be at the forefront of human performance.

“STEM is not something that is elite, it is something that enables you to participate in solving the problem.”

For Flight Lieutenant Dransfield, the opportunity to fly with Group Captain Bennell-Pegg reinforced his passion for aviation and STEM’s role in his work. 

“To go flying with Group Captain Bennell-Pegg is such an honour and it’s a real privilege to fly with someone I look up to and admire,” Flight Lieutenant Dransfield said.

“I feel really lucky that I get to showcase what the Roulettes can do.”

Both Group Captain Bennell-Pegg and Flight Lieutenant Dransfield are at the pinnacle of their fields, thanks in large part to their ongoing passion for STEM and the understanding that it takes a team to achieve the great outcomes they seek.

“No one goes to space alone and no one goes into the air alone,” Group Captain Bennell-Pegg said.

“Just like space, aviation is the ultimate team sport.”

Both aviators were quick to recognise that individual achievement was only possible through the collective effort of a dedicated team.

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