An intrepid astronaut, a climate change researcher, a youth advocate, and a champion for multicultural inclusivity have been honoured at South Australia's 2026 Australian of the Year Awards in Adelaide on November 14.

Astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg has been named the 2026 Australian of the Year for South Australia. Ms Bennell-Pegg is the first Australian to qualify as an astronaut under Australia's space program, opening pathways for others to follow.

Ms Bennell-Pegg graduated from Basic Astronaut Training in 2024 as part of a class of six trained by the European Astronaut Centre in Germany - the first international candidate to do so. She was initially chosen for the program from a field of over 22,500 applicants.

Ms Bennell-Pegg has harboured ambitions of becoming an astronaut since

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