Here’s 2.5 trillion reasons to send Bennell-Pegg into space

The recent successful US listing of SpaceX is as strong a signal as you’ll get that the space economy is one Australia should be playing in, writes Cameron England.

If you needed a reason the Australian Government should stump up $100 million to send South Australian astronaut Dr Katherine Bennell-Pegg into space, I’d argue the SpaceX share market listing last week furnishes you with about 2.5 trillion of them.

Dr Bennell-Pegg, who was named Australian of the Year in January, has been offered a seat on a European Space Agency mission to the International Space Station, but the catch is that it comes with the aforementioned $100 million price tag.

Graduating as an astronaut is an inspiring achievement in itself, with candidates selected from aspirant numbers in the thousands, and Dr Bennell-Pegg is doing a fine job as Australian of the Year, travelling around and talking to people about the opportunities and benefits which flow from a career in the sciences.

But where she belongs is in a space suit, supercharging inspiration for a generation of young Australians and declaring through her presence that our nation is going to be a part of this global generation’s forays into space.

And this is not just some feel-good marketing ploy, it’s about being part of an economy which is set to boom as reusable rockets........

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