Next Hungarian Astronaut to Go into Space Selected

Based on the final decision of the expert committee, after many decades, Hungary will send Tibor Kapu into space, while the reserve astronaut will be Gyula Cserényi, who will carry out the final phase of training, the Foreign Minister announced on Monday.

Péter Szijjártó said that Bertalan Farkas became the first Hungarian astronaut 44 years ago, and that the next Hungarian mission is now imminent, as the government has launched a national research space program to improve scientific and industrial developments and achievements. He noted that the Hungarian space industry is among the advanced national industries based on decades of experience and tradition, and the tests will greatly help the development of high-tech sectors with high added value, such as health sciences.

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240 people applied for the mission, from which, through a very complex process, experts finally selected four candidates who underwent extensive training ranging from space dynamics to light aircraft pilot training, various physical tests, and scientific work.

Last night, the expert committee made its final decision after considering all the different aspects, and they chose Tibor Kapu, a 32-year-old mechanical engineer, as the next Hungarian research astronaut, who has so far worked mainly in the automotive industry, in battery development.

To make sure the mission is a success, a reserve astronaut has also been appointed: 35-year-old electrical engineer Gyula Cserényi. They will carry out the final phase of training.

They will have to perform serious tasks, both in terms of physical and mental endurance, for instance, undergoing the 48-hour journey in a capsule until they reach the International Space Station.

The selected astronauts will soon be sent to the United States, where they will undergo the final phase of their training under a contract with the U.S. space agency NASA and the company Axiom Space.

“They will both undergo the same training, so if for some reason a replacement is needed, the work will not be lost,” the Foreign Minister said. He added that the other two candidates, who were in the running until the last minute, would assist the mission as senior members of the ground support unit.

“We congratulate the two selected, the flying, and the reserve astronauts. And we sincerely hope that this mission will be as successful as the one 44 years ago. Soon another Hungarian will be flying into space as a research astronaut, following Bertalan Farkas,” he concluded.

Via MTI, Featured image: Pixabay