BUDAPEST, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Hungarian astronaut Tibor Kapu returned to Budapest on Monday to a hero's welcome after completing a mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Kapu arrived at a Hungarian Defence Forces aircraft at Liszt Ferenc International Airport, stepping onto the tarmac with the national tricolor in hand. Images of him waving the flag dominated Hungarian media coverage.

Hundreds gathered to greet him, many wearing shirts of the Hungarian to Orbit (HUNOR) program and waving banners. Prime Minister Viktor Orban also welcomed him back, posting on social media: "Welcome home, Tibor Kapu!"

Kapu spent June 25 to July 15 on the ISS as part of the Axiom-4 mission, working alongside astronauts from the United States, India, and Poland. He carried out 25 experiments spanning medicine, biology, material sciences, physics, meteorology, and agricultural engineering.

The HUNOR program was launched in 2021 to boost Hungary's role in global space science. Kapu's mission marks the country's first human spaceflight since Bertalan Farkas became Hungary's pioneer astronaut in 1980, symbolizing a renewed presence in space exploration after 45 years. ■