Dr. Orsolya Ferencz: Hungary's second astronaut to fly into space with Axiom Space's AX-4 mission
Hungary has finalised an agreement with the US company Axiom Space, according to which the the second Hungarian astronaut will be launched into space on the company's upcoming AX-4 mission, Dr. Orsolya Ferencz, Ministerial Commissioner for Space Research at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, told MTI (Hungarian News Agency).
During the mission, the Hungarian research astronaut will spend 14 days on board the International Space Station, pending international partner approval, where he will be tasked with conducting scientific experiments that will not only put the participants of the Hungarian space sector in a competitive position but also Hungary at the international level, in one of the most dynamically developing industries of the 21st century, she added.
According to her statement, the exact start date of the mission, i.e. the launch date, is not yet known, it will be determined jointly by Axiom Space and NASA.
The HUNOR programme's R&D specialists responsible for the scientific content, will continue to work with partners and Axiom Space to ensure the successful preparation and implementation of the scientific portfolio started by national science workshops, universities, research institutes and space industry companies, the Commissioner emphasized, and also added, that in parallel with the preparation of the scientific content, the preparation of the research astronaut and its reserve, selected by the HUNOR programme experts, will continue, who will soon start their mission-specific training in the United States of America.