The flight will be launched in autumn and Tibor Kapu is the first Hungarian astronaut to return to space after 44 years.Continue reading
The entire crew of the Axiom Space’s Ax-4 Mission, including Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu, arrived in Houston on Monday to begin their training, the Houston-based company said on its website on Monday.
Axiom Space officially announced on Monday that it will send one astronaut each from Hungary, Poland – with the support of the European Space Agency (ESA) – and India to the International Space Station on its next mission, Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4). In addition to the US mission commander Peggy Whitson, the crew will include Tibor Kapu from Hungary, Slawosz Uznanski from Poland, and Shubhanshu Shukla from India.
However, the release notes that the assigned crew members are still “pending approval to fly to the International Space Station by the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MCOP).”
This mission broadens horizons for nations with ambitious goals of advancing scientific, technological, and economic pursuits,”
the statement stresses, adding that the Ax-4 Mission will place a strong emphasis on scientific research, technology testing and the commercialization of space. The mission aims to foster cooperation by sharing knowledge, resources and opportunities with participating partners to consolidate their leadership in the growing space community.
Ax-4 will be launched into space from Florida on board a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft, and is expected to spend 14 days on the International Space Station.
The possible launch date has not yet been announced.
As Hungary Today reported, the next astronaut Hungary will send into space after 44 years was announced in May 2024. The chosen research astronaut is Tibor Kapu, a 32-year-old mechanical engineer. To make sure the mission is a success, a reserve astronaut has also been appointed: 35-year-old electrical engineer Gyula Cserényi.
Via MTI, Featured image: Pixabay