Into Space Via the University of Würzburg
05/13/2024The University of Würzburg has its first female astronaut! Australian Katherine Bennell-Pegg once studied in Würzburg and has now successfully completed her basic training at the European Space Agency (ESA).
In April, ESA presented its next generation of astronauts at the Astronaut Training Centre near Cologne: six new graduates of basic astronaut training were introduced. Among them is Katherine Bennell-Pegg. The Australian studied the European Master in Space Science and Technology, or SpaceMaster for short, at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) in the winter semester 2008/09. She was selected from around 22,500 applications for the astronaut training programme. One of her first official appointments was at the 52nd annual conference of the International Space Agency (IfR) at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Cologne on 27 April.
Versatile Basic Training
During the one-year basic training programme, Bennell-Pegg and her colleagues were taught the basics of science, such as biology and laboratory technology, as well as how to deal with weightlessness and safety and survival training.
The group was led by the well-known German astronaut Alexander Gerst. The basic training is now followed by mission training. Here, the focus shifts to the specific challenges that await them in space. For example, the planned scientific experiments on the ISS space station or working in a spacesuit.
"Surprised and Proud"
Professor Klaus Schilling - Chair of Computer Science VII at JMU until 2022 and the driving force behind the SpaceMaster programme - was present at the ceremony in Cologne: "Of course you're surprised and proud when someone suddenly stands up at the podium and remembers their time studying in Würzburg very positively! It was really not to be expected that a former SpaceMaster student from Würzburg would be one of the last six remaining applicants, who were thinned out over various selection stages!"
