Tibor Kapu
Tibor Kapu | |
|---|---|
| Kapu Tibor | |
 Kapu aboard the ISS in 2025 | |
| Born | 5 November 1991 Vásárosnamény, Hungary |
| Education | Budapest University of Technology and Economics (ME) |
| Occupations | |
| Space career | |
| Commercial astronaut | |
Time in space | 17 days, 17 hours, 2 minutes (currently in space) |
| Selection | HUNOR 1 (2024) |
| Missions | Axiom Mission 4 |
Tibor Kapu (Hungarian: Kapu Tibor) (born 5 November 1991) is a Hungarian mechanical engineer and astronaut. He is flying to the International Space Station as a mission specialist on the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) mission which launched 25 June 2025, with Kapu becoming the third Hungarian person to take part in a spaceflight after Bertalan Farkas (1980) and Charles Simonyi (2007). His spaceflight is organized by the Hungarian state in cooperation with the American space company Axiom Space.
Personal life
[edit]Tibor Kapu was born on 5 November 1991, in Vásárosnamény, Hungary.[1] He began his studies at the Krúdy Gyula Secondary Grammar School in Nyíregyháza, then followed his father's example and chose a career in mechanical engineering. He completed his bachelor and master studies at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics.[2]
Kapu is a two-time World Junior Championship silver medalist in the logic game Tantrix.[1]
Astronaut career
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On 28 October 2021, the Hungarian government officially announced the HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) programme, which aims to send a Hungarian research astronaut into space for the second time after Bertalan Farkas's space flight in 1980. The application period for candidates was open until 31 January 2022.[3]
He applied to the program on the last day of application period.[4] In March 2023, he was selected into the group of four final candidates together with Gyula Cserényi, András Szakály and Ádám Schlégl. In total, more than 240 people applied for the nationwide astronaut selection process. Semmelweis University and the facilities at the Kecskemét Air Base of the Hungarian Defence Forces played a key role in the selection process.[5]
Exactly 44 years after Farkas's launch on Soyuz 36, on 26 May 2024, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced that Kapu was selected to be the next Hungarian astronaut, with Gyula Cserényi being his backup.[6]
On 24 July 2024, the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published a press release stating that the agreement between Hungary and Axiom Space was finalized. It was also revealed by Orsolya Ferencz, Ministerial Commissioner for Space Research that Kapu Tibor would fly on the two-week-long Ax-4 mission.[7]
On 2 August 2024, the Polish Space Agency (POLSA) published a press release, confirming the crew of Axiom Mission 4 and their roles. Kapu will be a mission specialist aboard the Crew Dragon during the 14-day long spaceflight.[8]
Kapu and his backup, Cserényi, flew to Houston on 1 August 2024, to begin their mission-specific training, while the mission launched on 25 June 2025.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Németh, Márton Sándor; Kunstár, Csaba (24 May 2023). ""Bokától nyakig csuromvizesen szálltam ki a Gripenből" – ezen mentek keresztül a magyar űrhajósjelöltek". index.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "The second Hungarian astronaut who is going into space also graduated from BME". Budapest University of Technology and Economics. 1 June 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ Bence, Szabó (28 October 2021). "Új információk a magyar űrhajós kiválasztásáról". Spacejunkie.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "A legutolsó pillanatban küldte be a jelentkezését a következő magyar űrhajós – Kicsoda Kapu Tibor, mit lehet tudni róla?". Blikk (in Hungarian). 27 May 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Űrvilág.hu - Bemutatkozott a magyar űrhajóscsapat". www.urvilag.hu. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Űrvilág.hu - HUNOR: kijelölték a következő magyar űrhajóst". www.urvilag.hu. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ Bence, Szabó (23 July 2024). "Megvan a megállapodás: az Axiom-4 misszióval indul a következő magyar űrhajós". Spacejunkie.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Kolejny etap szkolenia Polaka do misji na ISS - POLSA - Polska Agencja Kosmiczna" (in Polish). 2 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
- ^ "Hungarian Astronauts Head to Houston for Upcoming NASA Mission". Hungary Today. 1 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
