Cathedral Student Meets Australia’s First Astronaut at the Pacific Airshow
August 19, 2026
Cathedral School student Oskar spent a weekend on the Gold Coast that most students only dream about, meeting Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Australia’s first astronaut with the Australian Space Agency, at the Pacific Airshow.
Oskar’s invitation came through Team Roo-ver, the group behind the lunar rover set to join a future Moon mission in 2030. As part of the “Students with Altitude” program, he joined a small group of students for a close-up look at the technology and people behind Australia’s growing space industry.
The highlight was time spent with the rover itself. Oskar operated Roo-ver up close and put forward his own idea: a design feature that could help the rover climb over boulders on the lunar surface.
He also designed and test-flew a virtual fighter jet, used VR technology to simulate removing and repairing a Boeing aircraft engine, and watched the airshow’s flying displays. Between activities, he learned about high school subject pathways into aerospace engineering.
Katherine was so generous with her time,” Oskar’s mother said. “She was an inspiration not just to Oskar, but to every student there. Hearing her talk about her own path into space made it feel like a real possibility, not just a dream.”
Congratulations Oskar on making the most of the opportunity. We’re excited to follow your journey into aerospace engineering.
