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Bertalan Farkas (, born August 2, 1949) is the first Hungarian cosmonaut, space explorer and fighter pilot. Hungary became the seventh nation to be represented in space by him. Farkas is also the first Esperanto cosmonaut. Szilvási László, Az első eszperantista űrhajós (the first Esperantist cosmonaut), eszperanto.hu, Hungara Vivo, 1/1981. He is currently the president of Airlines Service and Trade.
Following his mission, Hungarian-American Károly Simonyi (Charles Simonyi) was the second Hungarian astronaut – the only person in the entire world who has been twice in space as a Space tourism and who had paid for himself for the . The next Hungarian astronaut, Tibor Kapu, travelled to the International Space Station in June 2025.
After earning his qualifications at university, Farkas joined the Hungarian Air Force and rose to the rank of Brigadier General.
He also attended the Bessenyei György Gimnázium in Kisvárda.
Farkas, along with Soviet cosmonaut Valery Kubasov, was launched into space on Soyuz 36 from Baikonur Cosmodrome on May 26, 1980, at 18:20 (UTC).
While in orbit, Farkas conducted experiments in materials science. After 7 days, 20 hours and 45 minutes, and having completed 124 orbits, Farkas and Kubasov returned to Earth, landing 140 km southeast of Jezkazgan. Bertalan Farkas was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on June 30, 1980. Biography at the website on Heroes of the Soviet Union and Russia
He was a member of the Hungarian Democratic Forum, a Hungarian conservative political party, and was its candidate at the 2006 parliamentary election in the Baktalórántháza election district. He holds the rank of Commander (CLJ) in the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem in Hungary.
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