Join the International Space Centre at UWA, the Australian Space Agency, the Australian Women's Pilots' Association and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research for a very special free event: "How to Become an Astronaut (And Find Other Cool Jobs)"!
Held at UWA's Octagon Theatre, here is your chance to ask all of your burning questions about the careers you've always eyed off, but were never sure how to chase. With Australia's own Astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Fighter Pilot Sue Freeman, Space Laser Comms expert Sascha Schediwy, Qantas First Officer 737 Amy Edwards, Zoologist and Microglider Pilot Milly Formby and Director of the International Space Centre Danail Obreschkow, we have all your STEM questions covered!
Katherine will also be available for a half an hour "meet and greet" outside after the show.
DATE Saturday 31 August, 2024 TIME 10.30am VENUE Octagon Theatre, UWA Details for parking at UWA: Transport and Parking, UWA
Find out more about our speakers!
Australian Astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg
Katherine Bennell-Pegg is an Australian Astronaut and Space Systems Engineer. She is the first person qualified as an astronaut under the Australian flag.
Katherine works for the Australian Space Agency, where she has contributed to growing Australia's space capability as technical lead on scoping the nation's first Moon rover mission, developing plans to capitalise on Australia's space strengths, and managing the Access to Space Team. She has more than a decade of experience developing space programs and strategies, technologies, and missions across Europe, the UK, the US and Australia. These include the Orion vehicle that is taking humans back to the Moon, space station facilities, earth observation missions and robotic satellite capture technologies.
In 2023, Katherine took the giant leap to achieving her childhood dream of becoming an astronaut, when she began training with the European Space Agency in Germany. She graduated in April 2024, and is qualified for missions to the International Space Station.
Katherine holds four degrees across science (physics major), space and aeronautical engineering. She is passionate about using human spaceflight and space to unlock opportunities for researchers and industry, as well as to inspire the next generation.
Katherine is married, with two young children. She’s a keen volunteer, having worked with the Australian Army Reserves, Surf Life Saving, State Emergency Service, and Engineers Without Borders Australia. Her hobbies include scuba diving, flying, reading, backyard astronomy, surfing, sailing, basketball, netball, tennis, hiking and cycling.
First Officer 737 Amy Edwards
Amy started flying when she was 14 years old, obtained her commercial pilot's licence (CPL) in 2009, and shortly after completed her flight instructor rating. She started her first flying job as a flight instructor for the Royal Aero Club of WA in 2010, and worked her way up to become a grade one multi engine, IFR instructor, flight examiner, and the Chief Pilot and Chief Flying Instructor. She loves instructing, seeing her students achieve their dreams, and has loved getting to work with many of them years later.
Amy left instructing in 2018 for a position as a Second Officer on the Boeing 787 for Qantas, flying the Perth to London direct flights. She was then promoted to First Officer on the Boeing 737 in 2022.
She has 2 gorgeous kids who keep her very busy when she is not working: Amelia (4) and Charlie (7 months).
Flight Lieutenant Sue Freeman
Sue joined the RAF in 1991 and after graduating fast-jet pilot training went on to fly the Tornado F3 fighter on the frontline and instruct on the Conversion Unit. She has taken part in several multi-national exercises world-wide, patrolled the Iraq no-fly zone 1999-2002 and conducted live intercepts of aircraft during Quick Reaction Alert duties in defence of UK and Falkland Islands' airspace. Sue joined the RAAF in 2016, and has been based at RAAF Base Pearce on 79 Squadron for the past 7 years. She has been flying and instructing on the Hawk 127, teaching junior pilots how to fly a fast-jet, operate the aircraft as part of a team and how to manoeuvre the aircraft close to its limits. Recently, Sue as posted to 2FTS in an executive role which still includes flying and instructing but on something a little slower, the Pilatus PC21.
Zoologist and Microglider Pilot Milly Formby
Star of the ABC documentary Wing Threads, zoologist and microglider pilot Milly Formby flew her microglider around Australia to share the amazing journey of migratory shorebirds. Milly's qualifications include an RAAus Recreational Pilot Certificate, a GA Recreational Pilot License, passenger & cross-country endorsements, cControlled airspace & aerodrome endorsements, a Master of Science (Zoology), a Bachelor of Science (Zoology), and a Bachelor of Visual Arts.
Professor Danail Obreschkow (MC)
Danail is an astrophysicist at the UWA node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research and the Director of the International Space Centre. He currently holds a Future Fellowship of the Australian Research Council.
Danail was born and raised in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. After graduating in theoretical physics at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (Lausanne, Switzerland) and the Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, US), he obtained his PhD in extragalactic astrophysics at the University of Oxford (UK) in 2009. Subsequently, he spent two years in the private industry before joining ICRAR/UWA as a faculty member in 2011.
His primary research lies in extragalactic astrophysics with a focus on the evolution of galaxies. He is also passionate about experimental research in microgravity and has served as a mission specialist on 354 parabolic flight manoeuvres aboard the Airbus Zero-G with the European Space Agency ESA.
Associate Professor Sascha Schediwy
Sascha is the Astrophotonics group lead for the International Space Centre at the University of Western Australia.
Sascha has been fascinated by human space exploration since being inspired by the real-world flights of the Space Shuttle and the fantasy flights of Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise.
Sascha’s own career in space research started at Curtin University analysing NASA Apollo lunar samples. In 2007, he obtained his PhD from UWA, working on the development of the Advanced LIGO gravitational wave detectors, including a six-month research period at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
This was followed by a four-year postdoctoral position at the University of Oxford working on phased array technologies for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope. After returning to Australia, Sascha worked on optical fibre frequency metrology, and this included a three-month research visit to Systèmes de Référence Temps-Espace (SYRTE) at Paris Observatory.
In 2014, Sascha started a research group at the UWA node of the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), where he leads an international team to develop and construct the SKA telescope’s phase synchronisation system. He has since translated these technologies and combining them with adaptive optics techniques used in cutting-edge optical telescopes, to become a world-leader in the pioneering field of free-space optical frequency transfer.
In 2021, Sascha was named the Australian Space Awards “Academic of the Year” and the winner of the overall “Excellence Award” across all individual award categories.
Speakers
Katherine Bennell-Pegg
Australian Astronaut
Amy Edwards
First Officer Qantas
Sue Freeman
Fighter Pilot
RAF & RAAF
Millie Formby
Zoologist and Microglider Pilot
Professor Danail Obreschkow
Director, International Space Centre
A/Professor Sascha Schediwy
Space Laser Communications Expert