Research astronaut Tibor Kapu has been awarded the prestigious public media prize for his services to Hungarian science and his inspiring personality. He thus follows in the footsteps of Nobel Prize winners and world stars.
In a festive ceremony on Friday, Tibor Kapu accepted the “Person of the Year” award in the Hungarian capital. The mechanical engineer, who has already been awarded the Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, was honored for a combination of professional excellence and exemplary modesty.
Anita Altorjai, CEO of the public broadcaster Duna, emphasized in her laudatory speech that despite his flight to the stars, Tibor Kapu has “both feet firmly on the ground.”
His talent for making complex scientific dreams understandable to the next generation in particular makes him a worthy ambassador for his country,”
she added. “The true heroes of the 21st century are those who shape our common future with their knowledge, sense of responsibility, and humanity,” Anita Altorjai concluded her speech.
Tibor Kapu on the ISS. Photo: Facebook/HUNOR – Magyar Űrhajós Program
The award is linked to the historic Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission. On June 25, 2025, Tibor Kapu became the second Hungarian research astronaut to travel to the International Space Station (ISS), where he worked for 18 days as part of an international team led by Commander Peggy Whitson.
But Tibor Kapu was not just a traveler in space—he was the extended arm of Hungarian research. During his stay, he supervised 25 scientific experiments, all of which were developed in Hungary.
In his acceptance speech, Tibor Kapu recalled the groundbreaking achievements made during his mission. He emphasized that the award belonged above all to the scientists working behind the scenes. For the first time, vegetables were grown in the same atmosphere in which the astronauts live – a milestone for future long-term missions. From innovative “soft cells” (inspired by Gömböc) to nanofiber research for the medicine of the future, the Hungarian portfolio was more diverse than ever before, the research astronaut listed.
For Tibor Kapu, however, the mission is far from over; he sees his future task as further bundling the synergies of Hungarian space research.
His goal is clearly defined: to put even more Hungarian names on the world map of science.
With this award, Tibor Kapu joins a list of high-profile personalities. Since the prize was established in 2020, Nobel Prize winners Katalin Karikó and Ferenc Krausz, as well as composer György Kurtág, have been honored.
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Via MTI; Featured photo: MTI/Bruzák Noémi
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