Tibor Kapu could be the man Hungary sends into space again after many decades, while the backup astronaut will be Gyula Cserényi, both of whose alma mater is the BME.

According to the final decision of the expert committee, Tibor Kapu could be the man Hungary sends into space again after many decades, while the reserve astronaut will be Gyula Cserényi, both of whom will perform the final phase of training, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó announced in Budapest on Monday.

A total of 240 people applied for the mission, and through a complex process, experts finally selected four candidates, including three former BME graduates, who underwent extensive training ranging from space dynamics through light aircraft pilot training to various physical tests and scientific work.

Tibor Kapu, a 32-year-old development engineer who graduated as a mechanical engineer from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, worked in the pharmaceutical industry on batteries for hybrid cars and radiation protection for astronauts. For the last two years, he has worked on space radiation protection at Remred Space Technologies in the space industry. As a parachutist, he has got 38 jumps under his belt. His interview can be seen here.

Gyula Cserényi – 33 years old electrical engineer, graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics at BME, then worked as a safety and operations team leader of the electrical network of the Robert Bosch industrial site in Hatvan, where he was responsible for 19 people and 20 megawatts. In recent years, steeplechase has been his number one sport.

The selected students will soon travel to the United States, where the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Axiom Space, under a contract, will carry out the final phase of their training.

Bertalan Farkas, the first Hungarian astronaut, also graduated from BME in 1986 from the Faculty of Transportation Engineering and Vehicle Engineering.

Rector’s Office Department of Communications