During her time as a NASA astronaut she flew on three 12-day shuttle missions and even lived on the International Space Station for four and a half months in 2009, but as the executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics she now spends her days on Earth.

"On the shuttle mission it's very short it feels like you're a tourist... but when you're on the space station you feel like you've moved to space because you establish a lifestyle there," she said.

Dr Magnus said the close proximity and lack of gravity while living on the station with a Russian, and another American astronaut weren't

"There's a lot of people on the ground who've worked for years to get their science experiments up there… so you don't want to let them down."

Growing up in Illinois, Dr Magnus said she remembered NASA selecting the first female astronaut in 1978 the year she entered high school.

"I could see the path for me because of those women who came first," she said.

When she joined NASA women made up about 20 per cent of the organisation – a ratio reflective of general engineering and science that she says has remained largely unchanged.

Capturing the attention of girls in early high school was the key to redressing the balance and hands-on learning was the best way, she said.

"There's a perception that girls don't do science and math and it's picked up subconsciously by girls and it turns them off," she said.

"Part of it is the way we talk to students, when you're a scientist or engineer you can change the world and help people and that's really what appeals to a lot of young people."

Dr Magnus said the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields were equally as creative as the arts and young people needed to be encouraged not to limit their dreams.

Her own path to becoming an astronaut began with a physics degree where she was introduced to engineering.

While working in the aircraft industry she studied for her masters in electrical engineering, then her PHD in material science and engineering before she applied and was accepted to NASA in 1996.

During her visit to Australia to meet with key players of the aerospace industry and the local branch of the AIAA, Dr Magnus was to give a public talk in Canberra and conduct workshops with primary and high school students at the CSIRO Discovery Centre.

Dr Magnus said there were a lot of aerospace enthusiasts in Australia, but the country's small space community wanted it to grow with many working on space policy to get the government engaged.

Convincing governments to fund science adequately was a challenge everywhere, Dr Magnus said, especially when the results from research investment could come years after politicians have left office.

"[Research] always pays off in the end because you're advancing technology... what's possible for humans to do and what we can create to make our world better," she said.