Australia’s first Astronaut, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, has graduated from the European Space Agencies (ESA) training program.

Bennell-Pegg underwent training under a cooperation agreement between Australia and ESA. She remains an employee of the Australian Space Agency, which means she won’t be likely to head to space any time soon.

Her five european classmates will join the ESA’s astronaut corps, eligible for missions to the International Space Station, but Australia doesn’t have a human spaceflight program.

It’s still possible Bennell-Pegg could be invited to join other nation’s space programs, but for Australia, the move to train Astronauts is seen as a long-term strategy to keep up with the rapidly expanding space industry.

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The yearlong basic training Bennell-Pegg underwent included preparation for the hostile environment encountered in space.

They were exposed to the force of gravity in a centrifuge, and spent hours underwater using scuba gear to float around space station modules to simulate working in zero gravity.

They learned how to recognize symptoms of hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, by experiencing it themselves in a low-pressure chamber.

Survival training included dealing with potential splashdown in the ocean and staying warm in winter while waiting to be recovered in case a landing goes off course.

With AAP and Angus Dalton