‘Destination: Galaxy!’ Space Exhibition Opens at Budapest Castle Museum

File photos of astronauts Gyula Cseresnyés and Tibor Kapu

The exhibition, entitled “Destination: Galaxy!”, examines the transformation of science and technology in the space age that began in 1957 with the launch of the first Sputnik satellite, as well as the imprint of the new relationship between imagination and reality in various areas of culture. The exhibition at the BHM Castle Museum presents all this in a Hungarian context.

The focus is on the spacecraft and the astronaut: from Vostok and Gagarin, through the conceptual shift to landing on the Moon, to the return and celebration of Bertalan Farkas. The exhibition features objects that have been in space, images related to the cult of space travel, video interviews, and documents from scientific research.

The launch of Sputnik-1 in 1957 was not only a technical breakthrough, but also the beginning of a new geopolitical era. Yuri Gagarin’s flight in 1961 and the moon landing in 1969 were defining moments in the space race. The Soyuz-Apollo joint mission was carried out in the 1970s, while the military role of space—through satellite reconnaissance and rocket technology—remained decisive throughout.

Hungarian astronauts Gyula Cseresnyés, Bertalan Farkas and Tibor Kapu. Photo: MTI/Bodnár Boglárka

Hungary became involved in space research in the 1960s as part of the Interkosmos program. Domestic research institutes, including KFKI, developed cosmic radiation meters and materials science instruments, while Hungarian industry participated in the program with precision optical and electronic devices. The Gothard Observatory in Szombathely and the Cosmic Geodetic Observatory in Penc were important domestic centers for satellite observation and geodetic research.

An emblematic moment in the Hungarian space age was Bertalan Farkas’s space flight in 1980. The astronaut conducted scientific experiments on board the Soyuz-36, including biomedical and materials science studies. The mission made Hungary the seventh nation to reach space.

The exhibition features relics related to the era, including the astronaut’s TV Maci doll, as well as contemporary publications and objects.

Astronaut Bertalan Farkas. Photo: Fortepan / Faragó László

The exhibition at the BHM Castle Museum shows how the space age appeared in everyday life: through toys, posters, and living room interiors. It also recreates one of the rooms of the MSZMP (socialist party back in the day – editor’s note) resort in Tihany, where Hungarian and Soviet astronauts rested in the summer of 1980.

The exhibition also touches on the cultural impact of the space age. Science fiction literature and Galaktika magazine were key forums for the topic. Television series such as The Adventures of Pirx and The Strange Adventures of Aladár Mézga appeared on television. Space aesthetics also appeared in music and the visual arts, influencing the visual and musical culture of the era.

HUN-REN Launches Large-Scale Space Research Program