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Tibor Kapu (born 11 May 1991) is a Hungarian mechanical engineer and astronaut. He was selected to fly to the International Space Station as a mission specialist on the Axiom Mission-4 (or Ax-4) mission in 2025. If the flight succeeds, he will become the third Hungarian person to take part in a spaceflight after Bertalan Farkas and Charles Simonyi. His spaceflight is organized by the Hungarian state in cooperation with the American space company Axiom Space.
Tibor Kapu | |
|---|---|
| Kapu Tibor | |
| Born | 11 May 1991 Nyíregyháza, Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg County, Hungary |
| Status | active |
| Nationality | Hungarian |
| Alma mater | Budapest University of Technology and Economics (MS) Faculty of Mechanical Engineering |
| Occupations | |
| Space career | |
| Selection | June 2024 |
| Missions | |
Tibor Kapu was born on 11 May 1991, in Nyíregyháza, 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]
On October 28, 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' space flight in 1980. The application period for candidates was open until January 31, 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 the launch of Soyuz-36, on May 26, 2024, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced that Tibor Kapu was selected to be the next Hungarian astronaut, with Gyula Cserényi being his backup.[6]
On July 24, 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 Aug 2, 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 Aug 1, 2024, to begin their mission-specific training.[9]
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