Experiments in space and on Earth

The UNIverZOOM project for secondary schools has been launched in collaboration between the Budapest University of Technology and Economics and the HUNOR space programme. This unique initiative aims to spark interest in engineering and natural sciences among as many high school students as possible.

The UNIverZOOM educational project provides a unique opportunity for high school students to expand their knowledge of physics through hands-on experience. Participating physics teachers and their pupils will replicate, under terrestrial conditions in their own classrooms, microgravity experiments conducted by Tibor Kapu aboard the International Space Station. The focal point of the project will be the space mission of the Hungarian research astronaut Tibor Kapu, which is scheduled no earlier than May 2025. As a crew member of the four-person Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4), he will travel to the ISS, where he will primarily test space research instruments developed in Hungary and carry out scientific experiments prepared by Hungarian researchers.

As part of the newly launched UNIverZOOM programme, Kapu will also carry out experiments aboard the space station, designed in advance by university experts. The project offers a unique experience, as participating pupils and their teachers will be the first to watch physics experiments conducted by the astronaut in space via NASA footage, and will then recreate them using equipment provided by HUNOR and BME, under the guidance of BME master lecturer Károly Härtlein and ELTE physicist Miklós Vincze. By reproducing the experiments under terrestrial conditions, pupils will be able to compare the effects of gravity and weightlessness.

Gyula Cserényi, reserve astronaut of the HUNOR programme, is also playing an active role in supporting the project. Both Hungarian astronauts are undergoing the same training in Houston, in cooperation with NASA, SpaceX and Axiom Space. The programme builds on Hungary’s achievements in space exploration, a tradition established by Bertalan Farkas, the first Hungarian astronaut. Tibor Kapu, Bertalan Farkas and Gyula Cserényi are all graduates of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, underscoring the University’s pivotal role in higher education in space research and engineering.

BME and HUNOR are inviting 300 secondary schools to join the UNIverZOOM programme, with one physics teacher and at least 15-20 pupils per school. Schools and pupils will also receive a set of experimental tools, so that students can be directly involved in scientific experimentation.  The programme also provides teachers with theoretical and practical training, mentoring, and experimental equipment packages. The culmination of the project will be the Earth-based reproduction of the experiments conducted in orbit, shortly after Kapu performs them in space. Schools will participate from their own locations, and at the same time, Károly Härtlein, master lecturer at BME, and his ELTE research colleague Miklós Vincze will hold an "extraordinary physics lesson" at Millenáris Park in Budapest. BME is actively seeking secondary school partners for the project; institutions can join via email at univerzoom@bme.hu. The project provides a unique opportunity for pupils and teachers, as they  will be the first to watch the physics experiments of Hungary’s research astronaut through a broadcast aimed especially at them.

Commenting on this exceptional science outreach initiative, Hassan Charaf, rector of BME, stated “With the acceleration of technological progress, the space industry and spaceflight are becoming increasingly important worldwide. BME has long been a key player in this field, contributing to numerous space research projects and developments. Tibor Kapu and Gyula Cserényi, at the forefront of the upcoming mission, both earned their engineering degrees at our university, further strengthening this connection. In 2022, we launched our aerospace engineering master’s programme, which clearly shows that the Budapest University of Technology and Economics plays a central role in training the next generation of space professionals in Hungary.”

“Through this project, we also aim to promote the natural sciences, inspire interest in space exploration, and increase motivation for science, technology, and engineering careers. We are proud to cooperate with the HUNOR programme. This will give pupils the chance to be part of a historic moment and to learn about the links between space exploration and physics experiments", he added.

Further information on the project and application details will soon be available at univerzoom.bme.hu. 

Rectors’s Office, Communications Directorate

Photo: HUNOR