Hungarian Astronautical Society

Hungarian Astronautical Society abbreviated as HAS (Magyar Asztronautikai Társaság, abbr. MANT in Hungarian) is a non-profit organization focusing on educational and informative activities on space science, founded in 1986.
The association considers itself a successor of the Astronautical Committee of the association called Scientific Lyceum (Hun. abbr.: TIT), founded in 1956; and the Central Astronautical Section of the Federation of Technological and Sciences Associations (Hun. abbr.: MTESZ).
Members of the Society are space researchers, other professionals concerned in space related fields and others interested in the interdisciplinary and state-of-the-art uses of outer space.

Main aims of the Society are:

Main regular events of the Society:

The camp was founded by Aunt Magdi, the "Space Granny" in 1994. Her intent was to introduce space research and astronautics to the youth. That time the program of the camp consisted mostly of lectures presented by the best-known Hungarian scientists in the field. Later the camp had a younger leadership, leading to a shift to more active and creative programs. From 2010 the duration of the camp is one week, from Sunday to Saturday. The participants are students between the age of 13 and 18, all interested in sciences and space topics. About quarter of the students return next year and every fifth student becomes a regular camper. Some acknowledged space researchers started their "space career" in the Space Camp, like the present (2017) Secretary General and several Members of Board.

1994 - Kecskemét, 1995 - Eger, 1996 - Veszprém, 1997 - Veszprém, 1998 - Győr, 1999 - Kecskemét, 2000 - Sopron, 2001 - Debrecen, 2002 - Székesfehérvár, 2003 - Budapest, 2004 - Kiskunhalas, 2005 - Gyulaháza, 2006 - Szentlélek, 2007 - Hollóstető, 2008 - Szentlélek, 2010 - Gyomaendrőd, 2011 - Sátoraljaújhely, 2012 - Kecskemét, 2013 - Alsómocsolád, 2014 - Felsőtárkány, 2015 - Sopron, 2016 - Debrecen, 2017 - Bakonybél

In the camp space researchers and astronautical experts give lectures. Topics cover a wide range, from the basics of astronomy through problems of space debris to deciding the dilemma if Pluto is a planet or not. Other activities include several practical exercises make the camp exciting, e.g. water rocketry, underwater assembly, creating stereo pictures, astronomical observation, excursions, bathing, etc. There is a main topic every year which meets the topic of the Student Competition.

Since 2015 private individuals and companies are invited to co-finance the Hungarian Space Camp as Mentors. HAS welcomes financial support of participation of needy students from Hungary and from the Hungarian diaspora in the surrounding countries. In the past years about one fifth of the participants was able to join the Camp by favor of a Mentor.

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