Tibor Kapu Returns to Hungary After Successful Space Mission

Tibor Kapu became the second Hungarian person to visit outer space on 25 June 2025. He spent 18 days on the International Space Station as part of the Hungarian Government’s HUNOR space programme. He then spent an additional two days on board his spaceship before returning to Earth, bringing the total number of days he was outside the atmosphere to 20.

The 33-year-old astronaut was launched into space from the John F Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida, on 25 June, and splashed down in the Pacific Ocean near the coast of California on 15 July. Now, Kapu is back in his home country of Hungary, landing at the Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, on the morning of Monday, 18 August.

He has stayed over a month in the United States after landing. At his arrival at the Budapest Airport, he was greeted by his family, friends, as well as the rest of the crew who had taken part in the HUNOR programme.

Media representatives were also there. Hungarian media outlets report that Kapu’s arrival home was met with cheers and the waving of Hungarian flags. Orsolya Ferencz, Commissioner for Space Exploration in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, was also among those welcoming the astronaut back home.

Kapu then took to a podium with a mic, where he made a prepared statement and took questions from the press. He told those gathered at the Budapest Airport ‘Hungary is now prouder, more curious, and more developed than it was eight months ago. Today, our backs are a little straighter, we hold our heads up a little higher, and have a little more of a sparkle in our eyes,’ referring to his historic success in space exploration for the nation of Hungary.

‘With these moments, an era in my and many other people’s lives is ending, and a new one starts. The previous era, along with countless beauties, was filled with a lot of toil, complications, and sacrifice. My loved ones, my family and friends, have helped me through these difficult times,’ the returning national hero went on to say at his press conference at the airport. He also shared that the results of the experiments conducted on the ISS, as well as his personal experiences in space, will be made public and shared with people across the nation.

Tibor Kapu will hold a public event where he will answer additional questions from the media and greet fans at Millennium Park in Budapest, Hungary, on 23 August.

The first Hungarian astronaut to visit outer space was Bertalan Farkas in 1980. He is still alive today and was present at the launch of Tibor Kapu’s spaceship in Florida.

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