Hungary has finalized an agreement with Axiom Space to launch its recently-selected astronaut to the International Space Station aboard the commercial space transportation company’s upcoming AX-4 mission.
In 2021, Hungary created the Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) initiative with the aim of sending its second astronaut into space after Bertalan Farkas, who became the first in 1980 aboard Soyuz 36.
The country signed an initial memorandum of understanding with Axiom Space in July 2022 and a spaceflight framework agreement in September 2023. With this latest announcement, the contract appears to have now been finalized.
The finalization of the agreement between Hungary and Axiom was revealed in a 23 July Hungarian Telegraphic Agency (MTI) interview with Orsolya Ferencz, ministerial commissioner for space research at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
While the launch date of AX-4 is still to be finalized, NASA has stated that it will occur no earlier than October 2024. However, the recent Falcon 9 failure and the extended Boeing Starliner test mission could affect this.
Hungary’s second astronaut to fly into space
Despite being an ESA member state, the European Astronaut Corps does not include any Hungarian citizens. As a result, in late 2021, when preparing to deliver on the objectives of the HUNOR project, the country launched an astronaut selection process. A total of 244 candidates responded to the call.
Following a multi-stage selection process, the 244 candidates were whittled down to four finalists by March 2023. Then, on 26 May 2024, to coincide with the 44th anniversary of the launch of the Soyuz 36 mission that carried Bertalan Farkas to space, Hungary announced 32-year-old mechanical engineer Tibor Kapu as its selected representative to the cosmos.
