Astronaut Tibor Kapu Lands on Earth

Tibor Kapu and the other three members of the Axiom 4 Mission—Peggy Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, and Sławosz Uznański Wiśniewski—successfully returned to Earth today, July 15, at around 11:30 a.m. Central European Time. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule landed in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego, meaning that everything went according to plan.

During the critical phase of the landing, the capsule’s crew had to endure less risky but extreme conditions of atmospheric entry, during which the heat shield glowed. The parachutes worked flawlessly: first the stabilizing parachutes opened, followed by the main parachutes, that finally slowed the capsule to a speed of approximately 25-30 km/h. The capsule has been lifted out of the water by the special rescue ship MV Shannon.

Welcome back to Earth, #Ax4! Today the Dragon spacecraft successfully splashed down marking the end of their successful mission to the International Space Station. pic.twitter.com/eeAyPCmWgG

— Axiom Space (@Axiom_Space) July 15, 2025

From Hungary’s perspective, the event is of historical significance, as the country sent a human into space again after 45 years. In addition, Tibor Kapu was the first Hungarian to work on board the International Space Station (ISS) since the Interkosmos program.

Nearly 60 scientific experiments were conducted on the ISS, of which about 25 were developed in Hungary.

The research compiled by Hungarian universities and research institutes included, for instance, Earth observation, radiation and life function studies, microgravity studies, as well as plant biology and biotechnology.

As part of the HUNOR program, Tibor Kapu also committed himself to promoting science among children: he held live check-ins with students and even taught classes from space, which were particularly popular among the young audience.

Students Reach for the Stars in Live Chat with Astronaut Tibor Kapu

The example of our astronaut shows that Hungarian researchers, engineers, and scientists can find their place at the forefront of the world, said the Ministerial Commissioner for Space Research.Continue reading

Tibor Kapu was launched into space on June 25 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Their Crew Dragon space capsule was launched into space by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. The Ax-4 mission was Axiom Space’s fourth commercial astronaut mission. The mission commander was Peggy Whitson, an experienced former NASA astronaut and current Director of Human Spaceflight at Axiom Space. The capsule docked with the ISS the next day, June 26.

The crew was originally scheduled to spend 14 days aboard the ISS.

Of course, the date of undocking was not set in stone, as complex factors such as weather, ISS position, and technical checks must be taken into account to ensure a safe landing.

Tibor Kapu’s successful return is a huge milestone in Hungarian space research: after 1980, a Hungarian was able to go into space again, and he also carried out pioneering scientific work there.

The mission was not only prestigious, but also contributed to the natural sciences—the Hungarian mission specialist was part of several international and domestic research projects.