South Australia says it will keep backing Bennell-Pegg space mission amid limited state support
South Australia remains prepared to support astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg’s ESA flight, while most other states have declined direct funding.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said his administration will keep supporting the plan to fly Katherine Bennell-Pegg, one outlet Australian of the Year and director of space technology at the Australian Space Agency, to the International Space Station, but the exact level of funding awaits a federal signal. All other states and territories - New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT - have told officials they will not contribute financially, and Western Australia’s Science and Innovation Minister Stephen Dawson noted any contribution would need to demonstrate a return on investment for Western Australians.
The federal government has been asked to help fund the ESA mission, which includes training in Germany and the United States, with a deadline reportedly in October. Private donors have already raised about $25 million, including $1 million each from entrepreneurs Jim Whalley and Dick Smith.
