Dear Visitor!
Welcome to the Space Insider, the new online portal of the Hungarian space sector.
First of all, I have to mention how pleased we were when we received the initiative which aims to create the main portal supporting the Hungarian space ecosystem not just for companies with a space related portfolio, but for everyone interested in Hungarian space activities.
By the decision of the Government, the Ministry for National Economy (MNE) is responsible for the development of space industry, space technologies and research, including representing Hungary in international organisations such as the European Space Agency (ESA) and EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA). MNE’s responsibilities also cover the drafting of the national space law, elaborating the strategic directions and programs for the sector’s development, in particular improving the competitiveness of domestic supply chains.
One of our first decisions included providing support to the creation of this portal with an ambition to enhance the competitiveness of our space industry, expanding its knowledge base, fostering innovation, and supporting the ecosystem.
Hungary has had a significant contribution to the history of science and technology, but we can also be proud of our present and be optimistic about our future.
The 2024-2030 Competitiveness Strategy of Hungary, also applicable to the space industry, was presented to the public in April last year. As the Strategy clearly states, our target is to become one of the most competitive countries in the world by 2030. The Strategy has 4 main pillars: patriotism, technology, sustainability and security of supply.
Based on these pillars, our main goal is to develop domestic suppliers, to strengthen research, development and innovation activities, to build a closer connection with companies, and to raise national champions. In my opinion, space industry is the key to our competitiveness.
In 2021 the government adopted its first Space Strategy which resulted in one of our flagship projects, the Hungarian to Orbit Astronaut Program (HUNOR). The program aims to send a selected Hungarian astronaut to the International Space Station by 2025.
Our Department Responsible for Space Policy and Space Activities is working on the establishment of a Hungarian space agency and the adoption of a national space law.
The Hungarian Government have signed various memoranda of understanding, not just with partner countries and their space agencies, but with leading space companies as well such as Axiom Space Inc., Thales Alenia Space, and Virgin Galactic Holding. Furthermore, we have organized ecosystem tours for foreign partners where we presented many Hungarian space companies and research organizations.
Hungary is a land of talented people with great ideas in the field of space related activities. What makes Hungary a unique country is its constant cooperation between R&D institutes, the academic sector, and companies.
We aspire to make the Hungarian space sector one of the most recognisable and successful among our European partners, with a long term strategy and a consistent, strong portfolio.
Without claiming completeness there are many examples for recent Hungarian successes:
- In May 2024, 4iG Group and REMRED Zrt., part of the Group’s technology and space industry holding company, laid the cornerstone for the new Space Technology Manufacturing Centre in Martonvásár. This upcoming investment will enrich our space industry with a facility using the most advanced technology and with unique capabilities and infrastructure connecting Hungary to the leading countries in the space industry.
- In November, 2024, 4iG Space and Defence Technologies Plc. has announced its satellite program named HUSAT (“HUSAT programme”) as a program with strategic importance. The HUSAT program is the largest private satellite program in Hungary and the CEE region.
- The 27G Technology startup has developed the world's smallest SIM-card-sized radiation meter, which SpaceX launched into space with its MRC-100 satellite in the spring of 2023.
- Launch of the largest Hungarian satellite WREN-1, a cooperation of C3S LLC with the University of Óbuda and Széchenyi István University in Győr, which helps prevent damage caused by drought and adapting to the climate.
- The startup MindRove has developed a special headband that helps astronauts maintain their mental freshness during long-term space missions by monitoring their brain activity.
- SpaceABC has created an artificial intelligence-based application that supports astronauts' nutrition in a personalized way
- Four space science specialized training courses have been launched in Hungary as part of the UniSpace program (2022-) with the cooperation of seventeen Hungarian universities.
- Semmelweis University assistant professor, dr. Klaudia Vivien Nagy was the first in Hungary to complete the space doctor training accredited by the European Space Agency, making her the country's first ESA-certified space doctor to support the missions of European astronauts, including the mission planned for 2025 for the designated Hungarian astronaut, Tibor Kapu.
- For the HERA mission launched on October 7, 2024, the probe's "eyes", six optical cameras, were calibrated by researchers from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and they will also calibrate the images coming from the probe.
- The Ministry for National Economy appeared as the main sponsor of the NASA Space Apps Challenge organized by Design Terminal in Budapest in 2024.
- ESA Business Incubation Centres (ESA BICs) are the largest network of incubators supporting space-related startups in Europe. The ESA BIC HUNGARY Program will continue for an additional three years thanks to our contribution.
The idea behind the bottom-up initiative of creating the Space Insider portal was to gather all the information about the Hungarian space industry and to channel it in the right direction. We are sure that it will contribute to achieving what we have established in our Strategy.
I hope you find it interesting!
Márton NAGY, Minister for National Economy