Tibor Kapu is a Hungarian mechanical engineer who, in June 2025, took part in the Ax-4 space mission organized by Axiom Space within the framework of the HUNOR (Hungarian to Orbit) program. With this mission, he became the first professional Hungarian research astronaut to reach the International Space Station (ISS) as part of a Hungarian state mission.
Professional background
Tibor Kapu graduated as a mechanical engineer from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). He began his career primarily in fields related to the automotive industry and the development of energy systems, with a particular focus on battery development projects.
During his engineering career, he participated in several developments that were directly or indirectly linked to the automotive supply chain, including energy storage solutions for powertrain components.
Connection to the aftermarket
Tibor Kapu’s former field of expertise, battery technology, is also present in the automotive aftermarket, especially with the rise of electromobility. Retrofitted battery replacement, capacity expansion, or performance optimization are technical areas where the development and systems engineering background that Kapu possesses represents highly relevant expertise.
Space mission: Ax-4
In June 2025, Kapu traveled to the ISS aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, where he worked for more than two weeks. His tasks included:
- biological experiments (the behavior of plants and insects in microgravity),
- radiation measurement tasks,
- testing Hungarian-developed research instruments.
The mission concluded successfully with an ocean landing on July 15, 2025.
Tibor Kapu’s career path clearly demonstrates that automotive engineering experience can provide a competitive knowledge base even for research conducted in outer space. The development of energy storage technologies is currently one of the most dynamically evolving fields, both in the primary segments of the automotive industry and in the aftermarket.
Source: mindmegette.hu
