Tibor Kapu Delivers Touching Farewell Speech + video

Tibor Kapu, the HUNOR program's research astronaut, sent a touching video message to the Hungarian people from aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in the final hours before his return to Earth. In his emotional message, he not only reflected on the experiences of the past three weeks but also shared words of encouragement for future generations.

Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu (Photo: Facebook)

Although his access to news from home was limited during the mission, he clearly sensed that much had happened in Hungary.

Although my access to news from home was very limited over the past three weeks, I heard that a lot has happened and many things have changed.

He then moved on to share his own experiences aboard the ISS.

What I can tell you is what has happened here on the space station over the past three weeks. A lot of work, a lot of science, a lot of ideas, and a lot of perseverance went into making this program a success.

He emphasized how proud he was of what Hungarian researchers have achieved and expressed hope that people back home share these feelings as they follow the program.

I truly hope that you are as proud of me and this program as I was of our researchers over the past three weeks.

He added:

Hungary has returned to the space map in recent weeks, and believe me, from up here, it can be clearly seen.

One of the most important parts of the speech was when Tibor Kapu listed the scientific fields in which Hungarian space research has made significant progress.

In the past few weeks, Hungary has advanced by years in scientific fields such as biology, dosimetry, nutrition science, product development, and many more.

Kapu spoke not only about the importance of space research but also about his belief in the long-term future of the HUNOR program. He encouraged Hungarians, especially the younger generation, to believe in their own talents.

My personal goal and wish is for the HUNOR program to be the beginning of something great. And for that to happen, I want to ask everyone to believe that we Hungarians are capable of achieving things like what we accomplished over the past three weeks.

Toward the end, he turned to children with a humorous and personal message:

So if a kid wants to dance, let them dance. If a kid wants to play chess, let them play chess. And if Mom says TV is only allowed after homework, then do your homework first, and only then, watch TV.

He then reaffirmed that Hungarians have proven themselves time and again—now even in space.

Because we Hungarians have already shown at the Olympics and world championships, and now in space, that we are capable of achieving the seemingly impossible. And we need such talent not only in space, but in all areas of life.

Finally, came his words of farewell:

So now we’re heading home, and I promise to tell you everything that happened here over the past three weeks, but only if you tell me what it was like watching the mission from Hungary, our home, over the past three weeks.

He concluded by saying:

See you back home.

Cover photo: Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu (Photo: Facebook)