A new temporary exhibition is opening in Buda Castle, presenting the history and cultural impact of the Hungarian space age. The exhibition, entitled „Destination Galaxy!”, traces the important milestones of the space age from the launch of Sputnik-1 in 1957 to Bertalan Farkas’s space flight in 1980, while also showing how space exploration has appeared in everyday life and culture.

The exhibition at the Budapest History Museum’s Castle Museum focuses on the period when technological development and scientific imagination ushered in a new era. The launch of the first satellite, followed by iconic moments in the space race—including Yuri Gagarin’s flight in 1961 and the moon landing in 1969—not only marked a turning point in the history of science, but also shaped the way society thought.

The exhibition focuses on astronauts and spacecraft: visitors can learn about the technological background of the space exploration era, while contemporary documents, relics, and video interviews evoke the world in which humanity first ventured beyond the boundaries of Earth. The exhibition also features special objects that have actually been in space, as well as memorabilia related to the cult of astronauts, including the iconic TV Maci figure, which is connected to one of the Hungarian space flights.

Hungary has been involved in international space exploration programs since the 1960s. As part of the Interkosmos cooperation, domestic research institutes, such as KFKI, developed instruments for measuring cosmic radiation and materials science, while Hungarian industry contributed to space research projects with precision optical and electronic equipment. The Gothard Observatory in Szombathely and the Cosmic Geodetic Observatory in Penc also played an important role in satellite observation and geodetic research.

One of the most memorable moments of the Hungarian space age was undoubtedly Bertalan Farkas’s space flight in 1980. The Hungarian astronaut conducted scientific experiments aboard the Soyuz-36, making Hungary the seventh nation to reach outer space.

However, the exhibition not only presents scientific achievements, but also shows how the space age has influenced everyday life and culture. Games, posters, and interior designs evoke a period when space exploration captured the imagination. Visitors can see, for example, an interior that evokes one of the rooms of the party resort in Tihany, where Hungarian and Soviet astronauts rested in the summer of 1980.

The inspiration of the space age was also strongly present in culture. Science fiction literature grew in popularity, and Galaktika magazine became an important forum for Hungarian sci-fi fans. Television series such as Pirx’s Adventures and The Strange Adventures of Aladár Mézga were created, reflecting the technological optimism and fantasy world of the era.

The „Destination Galaxy!” exhibition thus provides insight not only into the history of Hungarian space exploration, but also into how the culture and everyday life of the second half of the 20th century were shaped by the era when humanity first looked seriously toward the stars.

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