As if the prospect of space exploration wasn’t thrilling enough, Australian astronaut Group Captain Katherine Bennell-Pegg experienced a high-speed “hot lap” with one of the fastest drone racing pilots in the ADF at the Richmond Airshow 2025.

Known in the drone racing community as a “goggle ride”, Group Captain Bennell-Pegg’s mind was hurtled through space and time with a first-person view of the drone racer, while her body remained comfortably on terra firma. 

Drone racing is a new experience for Group Captain Bennell-Pegg, who has been put through some of the most intensive training environments in aviation during her time at the European Space Agency. 

“At the core of being an astronaut is being a good operator, so the skill sets these drone racers are building are very transferrable,” Group Captain Bennell-Pegg said.

“Then there is also the ability to make quick decisions under pressure and to manage and repair your equipment on the fly.”

President of the Air Force Drone Racing Association, Flight Lieutenant Jake “Dellogator” Dell-O’Sullivan, has been racing drones for years, and sees the growth of the sport as a boon to Australia’s STEM-based industries. 

“I’ve been building and flying drones for the last 10 years,before the software and hardware got up to where it is now. Now they’re pretty much rock solid,” Flight Lieutenant Dell-O’Sullivan said.

“So, it’s fantastic to see how the industry has progressed, from its basic technology aspect to very dedicated hardware and software.”

As a self-described ambassador for STEM, the benefits of drone racing were an easy segue for Group Captain Bennell-Pegg, who highlighted the science, technology, engineering and mathematics career avenues it opened. 

“On the International Space Station there's a 17-metre mechanical arm, which can be used to capture vehicles or move astronauts or equipment around and you have to do that with a 3D mental model of a complex environment with very limited camera views,” Group Captain Bennell-Pegg said.

“And in a similar way, drone racing pilots have to handle a comparative environment. I think that's pretty awesome.”

If you are interested in joining the Air Force Drone Racing Association or learning more about the motorsport, email your interest to AFDR.team@defence.gov.au.