Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg traces her impulse for adventure back to the nights when, as a child, she stared skywards and contemplated the stars.

Last year, the Adelaide resident graduated from the European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut program , and in the process became what the ESA's Australian counterpart describes as the first person to qualify as "an astronaut under the Australian flag".

Astronaut life 'absolutely as fun as you can imagine'

After 12 months walking underwater in spacesuits, undertaking simulated weightlessness flights, and learning to speak Russian, there is no certainty Katherine Bennell-Pegg will go to space. But she is first in line if Australia launches a mission.

Such an achievement might seem like its own reward, but Ms Bennell-Pegg's roles

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