1
00:00:06,415 --> 00:00:09,135
Speaker 1: You're listening to Amma Mia podcast.

2
00:00:13,695 --> 00:00:18,654
Speaker 2: Good morning from gadagal Land. I'm Taylor Strano. Australia has

3
00:00:18,775 --> 00:00:23,175
Speaker 2: a new Australian of the Year and she's literally trained

4
00:00:23,295 --> 00:00:27,535
Speaker 2: to leave the planet. Astronaut and space engineer Catherine Vanelpeg

5
00:00:27,575 --> 00:00:30,375
Speaker 2: has been named the twenty twenty six Australian of the Year,

6
00:00:30,735 --> 00:00:33,894
Speaker 2: the first person to qualify as an astronaut under the

7
00:00:33,935 --> 00:00:38,255
Speaker 2: Australian flag, and a trailblazer in our emerging space industry.

8
00:00:38,654 --> 00:00:40,095
Speaker 2: We'll hear from Catherine.

9
00:00:39,735 --> 00:00:40,934
Speaker 3: Soon, but first, clam Earth.

10
00:00:41,015 --> 00:00:44,854
Speaker 2: He's got you. News headlines for Tuesday, January twenty seven.

11
00:00:44,974 --> 00:00:49,014
Speaker 1: Thanks Taylor Lisa. Investigating after a potential explosive device was

12
00:00:49,015 --> 00:00:51,894
Speaker 1: thrown into the crowd at an Invasion Day rallyan Perth,

13
00:00:52,294 --> 00:00:54,255
Speaker 1: a thirty one year old man has been arrested for

14
00:00:54,295 --> 00:00:56,975
Speaker 1: allegedly throwing the device into the crowd of around three

15
00:00:57,055 --> 00:01:00,334
Speaker 1: hundred people who'd gathered in Pert's Forest Place Moll in

16
00:01:00,375 --> 00:01:03,895
Speaker 1: the city. The device contained ball bearings and screws wrapped

17
00:01:03,895 --> 00:01:07,574
Speaker 1: around a glass container with an known liquid inside. WA

18
00:01:07,655 --> 00:01:10,255
Speaker 1: Police Commissioner Cole Blanche said the device was about the

19
00:01:10,295 --> 00:01:12,975
Speaker 1: size of a coffee cup and that forensics are currently

20
00:01:13,015 --> 00:01:15,335
Speaker 1: doing what they need to do to identify what the

21
00:01:15,375 --> 00:01:18,095
Speaker 1: liquid is. He also explained that they were searching the

22
00:01:18,135 --> 00:01:20,895
Speaker 1: man's home in Perts, Northern Suburbs, and that while it

23
00:01:20,975 --> 00:01:23,855
Speaker 1: wasn't yet clear what his motivations were, the man seemed

24
00:01:23,855 --> 00:01:27,655
Speaker 1: to be acting alone. Scorching heat wave conditions continue to

25
00:01:27,695 --> 00:01:31,135
Speaker 1: grip much of Australia's southeast, keeping authorities on high alert.

26
00:01:31,415 --> 00:01:35,615
Speaker 1: As fire conditions continue to remain at dangerous levels. Temperatures

27
00:01:35,655 --> 00:01:39,495
Speaker 1: are expected to soar across parts of Victoria and South Australia. Today.

28
00:01:39,775 --> 00:01:42,215
Speaker 1: Melbourne is set to reach its hottest day since the

29
00:01:42,255 --> 00:01:45,575
Speaker 1: devastating Black Saturday bushfires in two thousand and nine, with

30
00:01:45,655 --> 00:01:49,175
Speaker 1: the maximum temperature of forty four degrees. Mill Dura in

31
00:01:49,215 --> 00:01:51,935
Speaker 1: the state's far north is forecast to reach forty nine,

32
00:01:52,095 --> 00:01:54,495
Speaker 1: while broken here in New South Wales is expected to

33
00:01:54,575 --> 00:01:58,295
Speaker 1: hit forty seven. Records were broken on Monday in Adelaide,

34
00:01:58,295 --> 00:02:01,935
Speaker 1: where temperatures reached forty four point seven degrees, exceeding the

35
00:02:01,935 --> 00:02:04,975
Speaker 1: city's previous January twenty six heat records set in two

36
00:02:05,015 --> 00:02:08,454
Speaker 1: thousand and eight. So Juna, northwest of the capitol, climb to

37
00:02:08,535 --> 00:02:12,174
Speaker 1: forty nine, surpassing its previous record temperature, while the New

38
00:02:12,215 --> 00:02:15,055
Speaker 1: South Wales town of Dubbo reached forty six point one

39
00:02:15,095 --> 00:02:18,415
Speaker 1: to record its hottest January day. A caller change is

40
00:02:18,455 --> 00:02:21,895
Speaker 1: expected to begin moving through Victoria today, although inland parts

41
00:02:21,935 --> 00:02:25,014
Speaker 1: of the southeast won't see much of a reprieve. Residents

42
00:02:25,055 --> 00:02:27,175
Speaker 1: in both states are urged to drink plenty of water,

43
00:02:27,335 --> 00:02:29,695
Speaker 1: check on family, friends and neighbors to see if they

44
00:02:29,735 --> 00:02:32,735
Speaker 1: need help, and stay indoors. But where the conditions are

45
00:02:32,775 --> 00:02:36,295
Speaker 1: worrying authorities in Victoria as multiple fires continue to burn

46
00:02:36,375 --> 00:02:39,375
Speaker 1: out of control, including in the Otways, where a blaze

47
00:02:39,415 --> 00:02:42,935
Speaker 1: jumped containment lines at Carlisle River on Saturday, threatening the

48
00:02:42,975 --> 00:02:47,095
Speaker 1: small community of jelibrand Authorities say there's been unconfirmed property

49
00:02:47,135 --> 00:02:51,255
Speaker 1: loss within the fire grounds. Israel has retrieved the remains

50
00:02:51,255 --> 00:02:53,775
Speaker 1: of the last remaining hostage held in the Gaza Strip,

51
00:02:54,055 --> 00:02:56,614
Speaker 1: fulfilling a key condition of the initial phase of US

52
00:02:56,695 --> 00:02:59,455
Speaker 1: President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in the region.

53
00:02:59,855 --> 00:03:02,975
Speaker 1: Police officer Round Gavilli's remains have been identified and will

54
00:03:03,015 --> 00:03:05,775
Speaker 1: be returned for burial. His body had been held in

55
00:03:05,815 --> 00:03:08,095
Speaker 1: the Gaza Strip since he was killed at a kabbutz

56
00:03:08,175 --> 00:03:11,734
Speaker 1: during Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October seven, twenty

57
00:03:11,775 --> 00:03:15,655
Speaker 1: twenty three. In a statement, Hamas's spokesman Hazem Kassem said

58
00:03:15,655 --> 00:03:19,295
Speaker 1: the discovery of Kavili's remains confirmed Hamasa's commitment to the

59
00:03:19,375 --> 00:03:22,375
Speaker 1: US plan to end the war. Israel had said that

60
00:03:22,415 --> 00:03:25,775
Speaker 1: it would reopen the Gaza Strips Ralpha border crossing with Egypt,

61
00:03:26,055 --> 00:03:29,215
Speaker 1: the enclave's main gateway to the world, once Kavilli's remains

62
00:03:29,255 --> 00:03:32,615
Speaker 1: were returned or the search operation for his body concluded.

63
00:03:32,935 --> 00:03:36,175
Speaker 1: A government spokesperson had no immediate comment when asked whether

64
00:03:36,175 --> 00:03:39,535
Speaker 1: the border crossing would be reopened, but the Palestinian Committee

65
00:03:39,575 --> 00:03:42,855
Speaker 1: of Technocrats backed by the US to administer Gaza, has

66
00:03:42,855 --> 00:03:46,215
Speaker 1: said the border will open this week. The son of

67
00:03:46,215 --> 00:03:49,175
Speaker 1: a veteran who died in the hospital where Minneapolis shooting

68
00:03:49,215 --> 00:03:51,935
Speaker 1: victim Alex Pretty worked, has shared a video of the

69
00:03:52,215 --> 00:03:55,175
Speaker 1: ICU nurse giving a tribute to his father. The person

70
00:03:55,215 --> 00:03:57,575
Speaker 1: wrote on social media that they never planned to share

71
00:03:57,575 --> 00:04:00,415
Speaker 1: the video, but that the speech Pretty gave while delivering

72
00:04:00,415 --> 00:04:02,855
Speaker 1: his father's final salute was very on point.

73
00:04:03,135 --> 00:04:05,815
Speaker 4: Today we remember that freedom is not freedom. We have

74
00:04:05,895 --> 00:04:08,775
Speaker 4: to work at it, nurture it, protect it, and even

75
00:04:08,815 --> 00:04:12,415
Speaker 4: sacrifice for it may we never forget and always remember

76
00:04:12,855 --> 00:04:15,295
Speaker 4: our brothers and sisters who have served so that we

77
00:04:15,335 --> 00:04:18,414
Speaker 4: may enjoy the gift of freedom. So in this moment

78
00:04:18,575 --> 00:04:21,335
Speaker 4: we remember and give thanks for their dedication and selfless

79
00:04:21,575 --> 00:04:24,295
Speaker 4: service to our nation in the cause of our freedom.

80
00:04:24,895 --> 00:04:27,414
Speaker 4: In the solemn hour, we read them our honor and

81
00:04:27,455 --> 00:04:28,175
Speaker 4: our gratitude.

82
00:04:28,575 --> 00:04:30,495
Speaker 1: The thirty seven year old was shot and killed by

83
00:04:30,535 --> 00:04:32,974
Speaker 1: ICE agents after trying to protect a woman who was

84
00:04:33,055 --> 00:04:37,055
Speaker 1: also protesting their presence in the city, with contradictory reports

85
00:04:37,055 --> 00:04:40,335
Speaker 1: as to what happened. Officials claiming Preddy was armed and

86
00:04:40,375 --> 00:04:43,615
Speaker 1: intent on violence, when video footage of the scene seems

87
00:04:43,615 --> 00:04:45,455
Speaker 1: to show he was only trying to help a woman

88
00:04:45,495 --> 00:04:48,175
Speaker 1: who'd been thrown to the ground by Ice agents, never

89
00:04:48,215 --> 00:04:51,015
Speaker 1: pulling his gun, but rather filming the scene with his phone.

90
00:04:51,295 --> 00:04:54,935
Speaker 1: US President Donald Trump says his administration was reviewing everything

91
00:04:55,015 --> 00:04:57,855
Speaker 1: relating to the shooting, posting on social media he was

92
00:04:57,895 --> 00:05:01,214
Speaker 1: sending his borderza Tom Homan to Minnesota and that he

93
00:05:01,255 --> 00:05:04,015
Speaker 1: would report directly back to him. There have also been

94
00:05:04,055 --> 00:05:07,015
Speaker 1: calls from within Trump's own pars for an independent probe

95
00:05:07,055 --> 00:05:11,295
Speaker 1: into the incident. Rapper Kanye West says issued an apology

96
00:05:11,335 --> 00:05:14,815
Speaker 1: for years of erratic behavior and anti Semitic rants, claiming

97
00:05:14,895 --> 00:05:17,775
Speaker 1: it was due to bipolar disorder. The forty eight year

98
00:05:17,775 --> 00:05:19,654
Speaker 1: old took out a full page ad in the Wall

99
00:05:19,695 --> 00:05:22,534
Speaker 1: Street Journal, paid for by his Easy brand, where he

100
00:05:22,575 --> 00:05:25,735
Speaker 1: wrote an open letter to those He's hurt, explaining how

101
00:05:25,775 --> 00:05:28,015
Speaker 1: a car accident he had in two thousand and two

102
00:05:28,455 --> 00:05:31,775
Speaker 1: caused damage to his right frontal lobe, claiming the interior

103
00:05:31,815 --> 00:05:36,015
Speaker 1: neurological damage went unnoticed until twenty twenty three, which caused

104
00:05:36,055 --> 00:05:39,335
Speaker 1: damage to his mental health and led to a bipolar diagnosis.

105
00:05:39,655 --> 00:05:42,335
Speaker 1: He said it led him to experiencing a manic state

106
00:05:42,335 --> 00:05:45,375
Speaker 1: where he believed everyone in his life was overreacting and

107
00:05:45,415 --> 00:05:47,655
Speaker 1: that he was the one seeing the world more clearly

108
00:05:47,695 --> 00:05:50,414
Speaker 1: than ever, when in reality, he explained that he was

109
00:05:50,455 --> 00:05:53,895
Speaker 1: losing his group entirely. West has in recent years made

110
00:05:53,935 --> 00:05:57,175
Speaker 1: anti Semitic comments, saying he would go death con three

111
00:05:57,215 --> 00:06:01,215
Speaker 1: on Jewish people, threatening a former Jewish employee, comparing himself

112
00:06:01,215 --> 00:06:04,255
Speaker 1: to Hitler and firing her after she reported his conduct

113
00:06:04,295 --> 00:06:08,375
Speaker 1: to Management ended its partnership with westover the comments, and

114
00:06:08,455 --> 00:06:11,095
Speaker 1: after sharing a slur Field rant praising out of Hitler

115
00:06:11,135 --> 00:06:14,055
Speaker 1: on X, he was dumped by his agent. He described

116
00:06:14,095 --> 00:06:16,855
Speaker 1: how the bipolar disorder made him feel like seeking help

117
00:06:16,975 --> 00:06:20,655
Speaker 1: wasn't necessary because he felt he was powerful and unstoppable.

118
00:06:20,935 --> 00:06:23,175
Speaker 1: But the things got worse the longer he ignored them,

119
00:06:23,375 --> 00:06:26,135
Speaker 1: and he since said and done things he deeply regrets.

120
00:06:26,415 --> 00:06:29,055
Speaker 1: He says he's not asking for sympathy or a free pass,

121
00:06:29,215 --> 00:06:32,175
Speaker 1: but instead aspires to earn forgiveness as he finds his

122
00:06:32,215 --> 00:06:32,734
Speaker 1: way home.

123
00:06:33,335 --> 00:06:37,214
Speaker 2: Thanks Claire. Next Australian of the Year Katherine Vanell Peg.

124
00:06:41,735 --> 00:06:45,095
Speaker 2: Catherine Vanell Peg is our new Australian of the Year,

125
00:06:45,735 --> 00:06:49,055
Speaker 2: bestowe the honor during a ceremony in Canberra this long weekend.

126
00:06:49,175 --> 00:06:52,455
Speaker 2: She joins Senior Australian of the Year, Professor Henry Bradati,

127
00:06:52,775 --> 00:06:55,495
Speaker 2: Young Australian of the Yen Ned Brockman, and local hero

128
00:06:55,655 --> 00:07:00,375
Speaker 2: Frank Mitchell. Catherine is making history as the first Australian

129
00:07:00,415 --> 00:07:03,935
Speaker 2: to qualify as an astronaut through our own space program

130
00:07:04,015 --> 00:07:06,895
Speaker 2: and the first person to try as an astronaut under

131
00:07:06,935 --> 00:07:11,815
Speaker 2: the Aussie flag. She's completed basic astronaut training at the

132
00:07:11,855 --> 00:07:16,535
Speaker 2: European Astronauts Center in Germany in twenty twenty four, graduating

133
00:07:16,575 --> 00:07:19,295
Speaker 2: in a class of six after being selected from more

134
00:07:19,335 --> 00:07:23,695
Speaker 2: than twenty two thousand applicants worldwide. She's now a director

135
00:07:23,735 --> 00:07:27,375
Speaker 2: at the Australian Space Agency, a reservist group captain in

136
00:07:27,415 --> 00:07:31,095
Speaker 2: the Air Force, and a highly respected space engineer who's

137
00:07:31,135 --> 00:07:36,615
Speaker 2: worked on human space flights, robotics, exploration and Earth observation missions.

138
00:07:36,735 --> 00:07:41,015
Speaker 2: Just a little bit busy and totally impressive. She's also

139
00:07:41,055 --> 00:07:44,815
Speaker 2: become a STEM ambassador, regularly talking to school kids, industry

140
00:07:44,855 --> 00:07:48,255
Speaker 2: groups and community events about space science and why she

141
00:07:48,335 --> 00:07:51,695
Speaker 2: wants more young Aussies, especially girls, to see themselves in

142
00:07:51,735 --> 00:07:59,375
Speaker 2: those fields. So already an astronaut now Australian of the Year, Catherine, Congratulations.

143
00:07:59,815 --> 00:08:01,335
Speaker 3: What does this onan mean to you?

144
00:08:01,775 --> 00:08:01,935
Speaker 2: Oh?

145
00:08:01,975 --> 00:08:04,095
Speaker 5: It means the world to me to be named twenty

146
00:08:04,135 --> 00:08:05,855
Speaker 5: twenty six Australian of the US.

147
00:08:06,015 --> 00:08:08,975
Speaker 3: I'm incredibly humbled and surprised.

148
00:08:09,055 --> 00:08:12,495
Speaker 5: The other nominees in the room last night absolutely phenomenal

149
00:08:12,535 --> 00:08:14,495
Speaker 5: and I encourage all of you listening to go and

150
00:08:14,535 --> 00:08:17,335
Speaker 5: look at their bios and support their causes. And I'm

151
00:08:17,375 --> 00:08:19,455
Speaker 5: also humbled by all the Australians that weren't in the

152
00:08:19,535 --> 00:08:22,495
Speaker 5: room last night. The incredible bravery we've seen at Bondai,

153
00:08:23,255 --> 00:08:26,455
Speaker 5: our first responses across the natural disasters we've had in

154
00:08:26,495 --> 00:08:29,695
Speaker 5: the last weeks. But I'm also incredibly grateful to have

155
00:08:29,695 --> 00:08:33,015
Speaker 5: this opportunity in this platform to talk about space and

156
00:08:33,054 --> 00:08:35,854
Speaker 5: the opportunities ahead for Australia if we choose to step

157
00:08:35,895 --> 00:08:39,135
Speaker 5: forward and to help unlock aspiration in our young people.

158
00:08:39,335 --> 00:08:42,535
Speaker 2: Now, you've said throughout your childhood and being a teenager

159
00:08:42,535 --> 00:08:44,655
Speaker 2: that you only wrote down one career goal, and that

160
00:08:44,775 --> 00:08:45,895
Speaker 2: was to be an astronaut.

161
00:08:46,535 --> 00:08:47,895
Speaker 3: Tell us why space?

162
00:08:47,975 --> 00:08:50,655
Speaker 2: What is it about the great unknown up above that

163
00:08:50,695 --> 00:08:52,775
Speaker 2: has been so attractive to you?

164
00:08:53,215 --> 00:08:55,335
Speaker 3: When I was young, I was drawn into it for

165
00:08:55,535 --> 00:08:57,415
Speaker 3: the adventure and the expiration.

166
00:08:57,695 --> 00:09:00,735
Speaker 5: Just like most ozy kids at primary school today, seven

167
00:09:00,735 --> 00:09:02,815
Speaker 5: out of ten of them want to go to space, right.

168
00:09:02,895 --> 00:09:06,335
Speaker 5: It's that natural curiosity that's drawn out. But as I

169
00:09:06,375 --> 00:09:08,895
Speaker 5: grew older, I fell in love with science. I loved

170
00:09:08,895 --> 00:09:12,495
Speaker 5: doing sports and flying and physics, and I wanted to

171
00:09:12,535 --> 00:09:14,615
Speaker 5: be part of being at the cutting edge of the

172
00:09:14,615 --> 00:09:17,974
Speaker 5: cutting edge and making new knowledge. And now as an astronaut,

173
00:09:18,215 --> 00:09:20,934
Speaker 5: I see it's so much bigger than that. It's about

174
00:09:21,054 --> 00:09:25,295
Speaker 5: enabling research into every field and helping to inspire the

175
00:09:25,335 --> 00:09:27,135
Speaker 5: next generation to do hard things.

176
00:09:27,775 --> 00:09:29,815
Speaker 2: This wasn't always a walk in the park for you, though,

177
00:09:29,855 --> 00:09:33,135
Speaker 2: I mean a space industry didn't always exist in Australia.

178
00:09:33,215 --> 00:09:35,655
Speaker 2: What kept the dream alife for you when there wasn't

179
00:09:35,695 --> 00:09:37,375
Speaker 2: an obvious path at all the times?

180
00:09:37,975 --> 00:09:40,775
Speaker 5: Well, I saw that the world needed space and so

181
00:09:40,895 --> 00:09:43,935
Speaker 5: did Australia, and that it was happening overseas. When I

182
00:09:43,975 --> 00:09:46,575
Speaker 5: grew up, I was inspired by Australians that had been

183
00:09:46,615 --> 00:09:49,495
Speaker 5: to space before, like Pull Scully Power and Andy Thomas,

184
00:09:49,935 --> 00:09:51,895
Speaker 5: and I saw that they'd had to leave Australia to

185
00:09:51,935 --> 00:09:54,495
Speaker 5: pursue that ambition. So I thought that's what my past

186
00:09:54,495 --> 00:09:57,895
Speaker 5: would be, having to leave our country behind. But with

187
00:09:57,975 --> 00:10:01,495
Speaker 5: the establishment of the Australian Space Agency in twenty eighteen,

188
00:10:01,815 --> 00:10:04,054
Speaker 5: I was able to come back and other Australians were

189
00:10:04,095 --> 00:10:08,775
Speaker 5: to contribute to growing our emerging space sector, which now

190
00:10:09,015 --> 00:10:10,775
Speaker 5: is you know, on the cusp of scaling and has

191
00:10:10,815 --> 00:10:11,695
Speaker 5: so much potential.

192
00:10:12,375 --> 00:10:14,575
Speaker 2: You mentioned there that's seven out of ten cubes in

193
00:10:14,615 --> 00:10:16,855
Speaker 2: schools right now want to go to space. Can you

194
00:10:16,895 --> 00:10:19,255
Speaker 2: paint them a bit of a picture about what astronaut

195
00:10:19,335 --> 00:10:22,335
Speaker 2: training is actually like day to day? What are you learning?

196
00:10:22,495 --> 00:10:24,335
Speaker 2: How hard is it physically? Mentally?

197
00:10:24,735 --> 00:10:28,895
Speaker 3: Astronaut training is as intense, as fulfilling, as fun as

198
00:10:28,895 --> 00:10:30,614
Speaker 3: you can imagine astronauts.

199
00:10:30,695 --> 00:10:33,015
Speaker 5: These days we have to be all round us, so

200
00:10:33,015 --> 00:10:36,935
Speaker 5: the criteria around astronauts change slowly over time, depending on

201
00:10:36,935 --> 00:10:39,575
Speaker 5: the kind of missions at hand. Today, the home of

202
00:10:39,615 --> 00:10:43,415
Speaker 5: most astronauts is the International Space Station, a football field

203
00:10:43,775 --> 00:10:48,095
Speaker 5: sized series of caravan like modules bolted together, where astronauts

204
00:10:48,135 --> 00:10:50,855
Speaker 5: go up there in the air inside to do science

205
00:10:50,895 --> 00:10:53,735
Speaker 5: and do space walks on the outside installing other equipment.

206
00:10:54,175 --> 00:10:55,855
Speaker 3: But we have to be all around this.

207
00:10:56,295 --> 00:10:59,375
Speaker 5: We're scientists in the sky into every field of endeavor

208
00:10:59,695 --> 00:11:03,415
Speaker 5: with space trades, fixing the station, doing the plumbing, doing

209
00:11:03,415 --> 00:11:07,095
Speaker 5: the air con. We are medical test subjects. We are

210
00:11:07,375 --> 00:11:11,335
Speaker 5: doctors looking after each other. We are people that have

211
00:11:11,415 --> 00:11:14,495
Speaker 5: to be still the ultimate operators, driving the big robotic

212
00:11:14,655 --> 00:11:18,215
Speaker 5: arms and learning how to do space walks. Ultimately, we

213
00:11:18,255 --> 00:11:20,814
Speaker 5: need to be good team members, so we study human

214
00:11:20,895 --> 00:11:24,814
Speaker 5: behavior and performance, and sometimes you know, that's about putting

215
00:11:24,815 --> 00:11:27,655
Speaker 5: your own goals aside to uplift the whole team so

216
00:11:27,695 --> 00:11:30,735
Speaker 5: you're stronger together and the teams in space. You're a

217
00:11:30,775 --> 00:11:33,575
Speaker 5: team of astronauts from a team of nations, all there

218
00:11:33,575 --> 00:11:34,054
Speaker 5: to get.

219
00:11:33,855 --> 00:11:34,655
Speaker 3: The job done.

220
00:11:34,855 --> 00:11:38,535
Speaker 5: So we also do winter survival training, ocean survival training,

221
00:11:38,815 --> 00:11:42,175
Speaker 5: fire fighting and rescue in order to build team skills

222
00:11:42,215 --> 00:11:44,655
Speaker 5: and also to know how to cope in case something

223
00:11:45,015 --> 00:11:47,855
Speaker 5: doesn't go quite right in launch and reentry. Health and

224
00:11:47,855 --> 00:11:50,255
Speaker 5: fitness is important, so we do a lot of that.

225
00:11:50,495 --> 00:11:54,135
Speaker 5: We even learn foreign languages, space history, face, strategy, and

226
00:11:54,175 --> 00:11:57,215
Speaker 5: economics and business, and the list goes on. The wonderful,

227
00:11:57,255 --> 00:12:00,495
Speaker 5: wonderful thing about being an astronaut is that your sentience

228
00:12:00,575 --> 00:12:04,135
Speaker 5: to always be learning, learning from the most interesting people

229
00:12:04,175 --> 00:12:05,415
Speaker 5: doing the most interesting work.

230
00:12:06,135 --> 00:12:09,175
Speaker 3: And you have the privilege of being able to shine

231
00:12:09,175 --> 00:12:11,775
Speaker 3: a light on all the people doing that work in

232
00:12:11,815 --> 00:12:13,415
Speaker 3: your country and around the world.

233
00:12:13,775 --> 00:12:17,495
Speaker 2: Catherine, because you're clearly not busy enough already, you're also

234
00:12:17,575 --> 00:12:21,655
Speaker 2: frequently in schools. You're speaking to and working with children.

235
00:12:21,735 --> 00:12:23,934
Speaker 2: Why does that work so important to you?

236
00:12:24,135 --> 00:12:25,775
Speaker 3: Oh, it's absolutely important.

237
00:12:25,815 --> 00:12:25,975
Speaker 4: You know.

238
00:12:25,975 --> 00:12:28,095
Speaker 5: I've been able to get out and about across the

239
00:12:28,135 --> 00:12:31,735
Speaker 5: country through the Australian Space Agency over this last year

240
00:12:31,855 --> 00:12:35,495
Speaker 5: or so, and I can tell you that curiosity and

241
00:12:35,615 --> 00:12:39,814
Speaker 5: talent have no postcode or no gender, no background. It's

242
00:12:39,855 --> 00:12:44,095
Speaker 5: absolutely everywhere. Aspiration is limited, though, we need to give

243
00:12:44,215 --> 00:12:46,415
Speaker 5: young people the confidence and ability to.

244
00:12:46,375 --> 00:12:49,655
Speaker 3: Strive science engineering. They're not in textbooks.

245
00:12:49,975 --> 00:12:52,175
Speaker 5: They're courageous, they're in the world around us, and you

246
00:12:52,215 --> 00:12:54,215
Speaker 5: don't have to wait to be top of the class

247
00:12:54,455 --> 00:12:57,095
Speaker 5: to go and participate. And if you find something that

248
00:12:57,215 --> 00:13:00,455
Speaker 5: interests you, you should absolutely pursue it without hesitation and

249
00:13:00,495 --> 00:13:02,695
Speaker 5: you'll become good enough if there's a problem you want

250
00:13:02,735 --> 00:13:05,054
Speaker 5: to solve, if there's something you want to help discover.

251
00:13:05,495 --> 00:13:07,735
Speaker 5: There are kids today in Australia that have already put

252
00:13:07,775 --> 00:13:10,454
Speaker 5: payloads on the International Space Station. You don't have to

253
00:13:10,455 --> 00:13:12,815
Speaker 5: wait till the end of your career to do something amazing.

254
00:13:13,415 --> 00:13:16,775
Speaker 2: Now. I am sure that every single person has asked

255
00:13:16,815 --> 00:13:19,295
Speaker 2: you this question, but we're just so excited at the

256
00:13:19,335 --> 00:13:23,855
Speaker 2: prospect of having an astronaut under the Australian flag. Are

257
00:13:23,895 --> 00:13:25,975
Speaker 2: we going to see you in space anytime soon?

258
00:13:26,575 --> 00:13:28,615
Speaker 5: It would be an incredible on I if I get

259
00:13:28,615 --> 00:13:31,175
Speaker 5: the chance to represent Australia in space. That's sort of

260
00:13:31,215 --> 00:13:33,855
Speaker 5: been working towards. But the life of an astronaut has

261
00:13:33,855 --> 00:13:35,895
Speaker 5: a level of uncertainty. You don't know when or if

262
00:13:35,935 --> 00:13:38,175
Speaker 5: you'll fly. It's my job to be as ready as

263
00:13:38,215 --> 00:13:40,375
Speaker 5: I can be, and I'm doing that as a member

264
00:13:40,415 --> 00:13:42,815
Speaker 5: of the Air Force Reserve and through my Australian Space

265
00:13:42,855 --> 00:13:46,255
Speaker 5: Agency day job. We will see right now I'm focused

266
00:13:46,255 --> 00:13:50,055
Speaker 5: on unlocking pathways on the ground. Australia would need to

267
00:13:50,054 --> 00:13:53,334
Speaker 5: take a decision to step forward into one of these programs,

268
00:13:53,375 --> 00:13:55,735
Speaker 5: but should I ever get the chance, I would love

269
00:13:55,775 --> 00:13:59,255
Speaker 5: nothing more than to see more Aussie astronauts on flight

270
00:13:59,295 --> 00:14:00,535
Speaker 5: suits follow in the future.

271
00:14:00,815 --> 00:14:03,735
Speaker 2: So you're at the Australian Space Agency, you're an Air

272
00:14:03,775 --> 00:14:06,695
Speaker 2: Force reservest and now Australian of the Year, Catherine. What

273
00:14:06,695 --> 00:14:08,935
Speaker 2: are the next twelve months going to look like for you?

274
00:14:08,975 --> 00:14:11,575
Speaker 2: What's your focus there.

275
00:14:10,695 --> 00:14:13,455
Speaker 5: The next twelve months to May, We'll be using this

276
00:14:13,815 --> 00:14:17,575
Speaker 5: incredible platform to reach more people, reach more young people

277
00:14:17,695 --> 00:14:20,895
Speaker 5: and more people around the country about space and stem

278
00:14:21,095 --> 00:14:24,095
Speaker 5: In Australia, space is something that's a little bit hidden.

279
00:14:24,415 --> 00:14:28,255
Speaker 5: Society completely relive on it, not just in the regions

280
00:14:28,295 --> 00:14:31,455
Speaker 5: and remote Australia, but in our modern cities, our banking system,

281
00:14:31,495 --> 00:14:36,535
Speaker 5: our transport system, everything we eat relies on satellites in

282
00:14:36,575 --> 00:14:39,175
Speaker 5: space providing us the information to do that job. And

283
00:14:39,255 --> 00:14:43,695
Speaker 5: in Australia we critically rely mostly on satellites owned or

284
00:14:43,735 --> 00:14:47,215
Speaker 5: operated by foreign actors and foreign governments. But we now

285
00:14:47,255 --> 00:14:50,975
Speaker 5: have the capability to build a lot of these systems ourselves.

286
00:14:51,095 --> 00:14:52,495
Speaker 5: So I want us to be able to have a

287
00:14:52,535 --> 00:14:55,735
Speaker 5: conversation about space and Australia's place in it. In twenty

288
00:14:55,775 --> 00:14:58,135
Speaker 5: twenty six, we're going to see humans go back around

289
00:14:58,175 --> 00:15:00,455
Speaker 5: the Moon, and I hope all Australians can look up

290
00:15:00,495 --> 00:15:04,415
Speaker 5: knowing that there's no aspiration too big for Australia or

291
00:15:04,415 --> 00:15:06,615
Speaker 5: any Australian here when it's worthwhile pursuing.

292
00:15:08,455 --> 00:15:10,735
Speaker 2: Thanks so much for taking some time to feed your

293
00:15:10,775 --> 00:15:12,735
Speaker 2: mind with us today. Hey don't forget, We're back to

294
00:15:12,775 --> 00:15:14,815
Speaker 2: Tsavo with another news update.

295
00:15:14,895 --> 00:15:15,535
Speaker 3: Make sure you're.

296
00:15:15,455 --> 00:15:18,255
Speaker 2: Following us in your favorite podcast app so you don't

297
00:15:18,255 --> 00:15:21,775
Speaker 2: miss out. The Quickie is produced by me Tabor Strano,

298
00:15:21,975 --> 00:15:26,375
Speaker 2: Lario Brophy and Claire Murphy, with audio production by Lou Hill.

299
00:15:31,255 --> 00:15:31,495
Speaker 4: Muma.

300
00:15:31,575 --> 00:15:34,455
Speaker 1: Mea acknowledges the traditional owners of land and waters that

301
00:15:34,535 --> 00:15:36,055
Speaker 1: this podcast is recorded on