Adventures in space at the PTE with astronaut Tibor Kapu

45 years after Bertalan Farkas, the first Hungarian astronaut, the International Space Station once again welcomed a Hungarian researcher. Out of 247 applicants, Tibor Kapu was selected through a 28-month selection process to become the second Hungarian astronaut, tasked with carrying out experiments in space that had been developed over many years by Hungarian researchers, including those at the University of Pécs. 

As part of their nationwide tour, Tibor Kapu and Gyula Cserényi visited Pécs, specifically the Medical School of the University of Pécs, where they began a full-day program with a lecture combined with a presentation for primary school students. The excited, bright-eyed children gave the astronauts a huge ovation, as they shared stories about their training and about space travel itself. 
 

The astronauts were then personally welcomed by the leadership of the city of Pécs and the University of Pécs, who expressed their gratitude for the joint research carried out so far. Within the framework of the HUNOR program, PTE researchers are seeking answers to questions that are essential for the space missions that will define the coming decades: how the human brain and perception change in space, which materials are worth producing with 3D printing on the International Space Station, and how those materials withstand conditions that are far from earthly. 
 

In the afternoon, the trained astronauts invited adults to a more serious panel discussion. Outside the Medical School building, long lines of people waited to take their seats and listen to the astronauts. Just like the advance registration, the hall quickly filled up. Dr. Miklós Nyitrai, Dean of the Medical School, and Dr. Attila Miseta, Rector of the University of Pécs, opened the event with a few words of welcome to both the audience and the astronauts. I am very grateful to the two astronauts for accepting our invitation, as this gives the public the opportunity to experience the results of the HUNOR program firsthand and to get to know its members – emphasized the Rector. 
 

The moderator began the discussion with questions about training, where Gyula Cserényi described what it was like to experience flight and weightlessness on Earth: 

Weightlessness is perhaps the lightest and most liberating physical sensation I have ever experienced. On Earth, gravity exerts a constant 1G force on us, but in weightlessness this disappears, so even the smallest movement has a huge effect when moving around the cabin – said Cserényi Gyula. Tibor Kapu then added that it took him four days on the space station to get used to weightlessness, as the altered conditions of movement caused him to bump into everything in the cabin. 

Tibor Kapu then spoke about the two most challenging training tasks for him: isolation and quarantine. During isolation, astronaut candidates spend six days confined in three containers, where they conduct research, train, eat, and sleep: 

It was the first time we were cut off from the outside world for an extended period and had to find solutions to problems together while being confined. Nevertheless, it was a positive experience. 

He explained that quarantine is very similar, except he took part in it in Florida. They spent 31 days in a completely sterile and sealed environment. 
 

A closed environment is necessary because the International Space Station is a closed system where air, consumed food and drink, and even wastewater are recycled into the system, so no external risk factors, illnesses, or pathogens can be allowed to enter – said Tibor Kapu, adding that in world history so far, his crew spent the longest time in quarantine before space travel. 

During the space mission, numerous scientific experiments were carried out, the results of which may contribute to the advancement of space travel. Tibor Kapu conducted 25 different experiments in orbit, a significant portion of which covered the field of biomedical sciences: One of my personal favourites was the research on plant cultivation under space conditions, since radishes, carrots, and similar vegetables are grown on the space station – noted Tibor Kapu, who added that a background team of researchers from the University of Pécs played a major role in this experiment as well, developing the necessary tools and supporting the research. The majority of the team behind the research consisted of University of Pécs scientists, making the university an integral part of one of the greatest milestones of Hungarian space research and contributing substantially to its success. 
 

The story and journey of Tibor Kapu and Gyula Cserényi are excellent examples of the opportunities and challenges life can bring. According to Tibor Kapu, one’s environment, family, and friends are indispensable for achieving success and goals: 
Human beings are by nature social creatures; we need the support of others. During the most difficult days of my training, whether in isolation or quarantine, it was always the closeness of my family that helped me push forward. And when I arrived at the International Space Station, one of the very first things I did was call my mother, just as I always do whenever I arrive somewhere – said the astronaut.

Pictures are available here