Hungarian Astronaut Tibor Kapu has left the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the International Space Station on board the SpaceX Crew Dragon spaceship on Wednesday morning.
The mission, organized by Axiom Space, SpaceX, and NASA, is planned to take 14 days and is headed by US astronaut Peggy Whitson. There are four astronauts in total. The two other crew members are India's Shubhanshu Shukla and Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski.
With the current mission, Hungary is sending its second astronaut to space, with Bertalan Farkas having visited the Salyut-6 space station in 1980 as the first one.
The crew is scheduled to complete nearly 60 scientific experiments during their journey for 31 countries, with special regard to the study of micro-gravity on low Earth orbit. The experiments will also include ones in the areas of cancer and diabetes research. Fully 25 experiments will be completed under Hungary's HUNOR scientific programme to learn more about space and its impacts on humans and various materials.
The spaceship is scheduled to reach the ISS early on Thursday morning.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Facebook that Hungary sending another astronaut to space was a "huge honour" and wished Kapu success on his mission.
Logging in after take-off, Kapu said he was grateful and proud to represent Hungary. "Fifteen million people have helped me ... your support is like embers under the ash, quietly glowing but unifying in flames when fueled ... your voice is louder than our rocket and your strength is greater than gravity ... I thank everybody across the world that has contributed to this wonderful day."
Orsolya Ferencz, ministry commissioner in charge of the space research programme and head of the HUNOR programme, told MTI that the most intensive two weeks of the HUNOR programme were about to begin. After Kapu's return, the results of the mission will be evaluated, she said, adding that Hungary's space research programme had crossed a threshold and now the group of experts will be waiting "to face even greater challenges".
Szabolcs Takacs, Hungary's ambassador to the US, said the AX-4 mission was a new chapter also in US-Hungarian relations. Hungary is dedicated to deepening cooperation with the US in the space sector, in innovation and science, he added.