The Hungarian Space Research Office (HSO; Hungarian: Magyar Űrkutatási Iroda) is the official Government of Hungary agency responsible for the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research. It is the organization whose purpose is to coordinate Hungarian space exploration-related activities, both national programs and European Space Agency related programs, where Hungary is a member state.
European Space Expo in Budapest
The Hungarian Space Board (HSB), headed by Dr. Kálmán Kovács (former Minister for Informatics and Communications), helps the work of the Government in strategic cases.[1] The government advisory body in technical matters is the Scientific Council on Space Research (SCSR). The SCSR provides the scientific background of all Hungarian space activities. The research and application activities have been carried out in about 25 scientific institutes and university departments. Their personnel, involved in space-related work consists of more than 250 scientists and engineers. The Hungarian government established it in January 1992.[2][3] The former director is Előd Both (1997-2015), the present director is Fruzsina Tari.
In 2003, the Hungarian Space Office signed the ECS Agreement in 2003 with the ESA to become a cooperative state.[4] On 24 February 2015, the office signed to become part of the ESA, and deposited their ratification on 4 November 2015.[5]
