In recent days, the Australian government made an offer to the European Space Agency (ESA) to send Australia’s first astronaut on a mission to the International Space Station.

Katherine Bennell-Pegg is the first astronaut trained under the Australian flag. She completed her basic training with ESA in April 2024. She serves as director of space technology at the Australian Space Agency, and was named the 2026 Australian of the Year.

We don’t know precisely how much Australia has offered ESA to put our own astronaut forward for a mission, but we assume it’s lower than the reported A$100 million the agency originally asked for.

Some have questioned whether such a steep price tag is worth it for a “ticket to space”. But we must look at this more broadly.

Sending Bennell-Pegg to space is about far more than one Australian reaching orbit. It’s about opening doors to international partnerships, research and opportunities that can help shape Australia’s future. In short, we can get a lot in return for the money paid.

Why do we have to pay?

Why does Australia have to pay to send an astronaut to space? The simple answer is because we are not a member state of the ESA, NASA, or any other agency capable of sending humans to space and back.

Member states pay the ESA a mandatory annual contribution based on their GDP. The agency’s total budget is around €7.69 billion (A$12.2 billion) with two thirds of that coming from the 23 member........

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