Women in the Space Industry is a stellar new oral history and photography collection. Now available on Trove, this significant project documented the lives and contributions of 22 women working in Australia’s space sector. It captures a pivotal moment when the space industry – both in Australia and globally – is advancing at remarkable pace.

We commissioned oral historian and photographer Louise Whelan to interview and take accompanying portraits of the women between 2023 to 2025. The collection features in-depth whole-of-life interviews with women of different ages, backgrounds, and disciplines. 

Hear Katherine Bennell-Pegg talk about what it means to her to be the first person to train as an Astronaut under the Australian flag:

Listen as Gamilaroi woman, astrophysicist and science communicator Karlie Noon reflects on how she is bridging Indigenous knowledge and STEM education:

Find inspiration in the leadership of Dr Sarah Cannard, the aerospace engineer who led the team that designed Australia’s first lunar rover, Roo-ver:

One giant leap for women’s archives 

The Women in the Space Industry project is the first combined oral history and photographic archival collection to document the experiences of women working in the space sector.  

Before this project, examples of women’s role in the space industry were virtually non-existent. A search in our Catalogue surfaced one recording from a luncheon with the Apollo 11 Astronauts in 1969. The recording includes a press conference with the astronauts’ wives, Mrs Armstrong, Mrs Aldrin and Mrs Collins. In stark contrast to the questions asked in our recent interviews, these women were asked questions like:   

• ‘Do you have a scientific background so you can discuss your husband’s work with him?’
• ‘What special attributes would you say does an astronaut’s wife need to be a good wife?’ 

This new collection also joins the ranks of other recent collecting and digitisation projects that look to fill a long-standing gap in woman’s stories and voices in our collection. We’re making these collections more easily accessible by making them available online through Trove. 

As Louise Whelan says:  

Discover the stories of women working in the Australian space industry by listening to their oral history interviews and viewing their portraits online.