Next Hungarian astronaut selected

For the first time after several decades, Hungary is looking to send a man into space again. Based on the final decision of a committee of experts, this person could be Tibor Kapu, while the backup astronaut will be Gyula Cserényi, with both of them about to complete the final phase of training, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced in Budapest on Monday.

According to the ministry's statement, just prior to his departure for the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, the minister said that after Bertalan Farkas became the first Hungarian astronaut 44 years ago, the next Hungarian mission is now imminent, after the government’s launching of a national scientific and space research programme with the goal of improving scientific and industrial developments and achievements, MTI reports.

He went on to say that based on the experience and traditions of the past decades, the Hungarian space industry is among the country’s advanced industries, and the tests which will be carried out are expected to greatly contribute to the development of high-tech sectors with high added value, such as the health sciences.

A total of 240 people applied to take part in the mission, and after a complex process, the experts selected a group of four candidates who underwent extensive training covering everything from space dynamics and pilot training for light aircraft to various physical tests and scientific work.

"Having carefully considered all the various criteria, the expert panel made its final decision last night. According to this, Tibor Kapu, a 32-year old development engineer could be the next Hungarian research astronaut. Until now he has worked mostly in the automotive industry, focusing on battery development," Szijjártó said.

To make sure the mission is completed, they also appointed a backup astronaut: a 35-year-old electrical engineer, Gyula Cserényi. The two will thus both undergo the final phase of training.

Szijjártó said that during their training, they will have to perform very serious tasks, both in terms of physical and mental endurance, since the next Hungarian astronaut will have to endure, among other things, sitting in one place during the 48-hour journey to the International Space Station in a capsule.

According to the Foreign Minister's statement, the selected candidates will soon travel to the United States, where the US space agency, NASA, and a company called Axiom Space will conduct the final phase of their training. "They will both undergo the same training, so that if for whatever reason there is a need for a replacement, all the work that has already been put in will not be lost," he said.

The minister also said that the other two candidates who were in the running until the last minute, would be assisting the mission as senior members of the ground support unit. "We congratulate both of the two chosen ones, and sincerely hope that this mission will be as successful as the one 44 years ago. After Bertalan Farkas, there will soon be another Hungarian flying into space as a research astronaut," he said.

The four astronaut candidates were first introduced at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in March last year: Tibor Kapu is a development engineer, Gyula Cserényi is an electrical engineer, András Szakály is a structural engineer and Dr Ádám Schlégl is an orthopaedic surgeon.