Space Apps Community,
I am very proud of NASA’s International Space Apps Challenge, the largest annual global hackathon in the world. This year, the event was held on October 2-3, 2021 and over 28,000 people from around the world registered to address challenges on Earth and in space using space-based data from NASA alongside our partner space agencies worldwide. After three rounds of judging, the results are in!
Please join me in congratulating and celebrating the ten winning teams. They represent a wide array of countries and territories, challenges, and approaches. Here are the winners for the 2021 NASA International Space Apps Challenge:
- Best Use of Science: Ani’s Cuff (Taipei, Taiwan)
- Best Use of Data: Cambridge Asteroids (Cambridge, England)
- Best Use of Technology: Change Maker (Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia)
- Galactic Impact: 4 Seeds (Chino Hills, California, United States)
- Best Mission Concept: Mohakash (Khulna, Bangladesh)
- Most Inspirational: Bioshi (Panama)
- Best Storytelling: Space Travelers (Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador)
- Global Connection: Eagle AI (Morocco)
- Art & Technology: Jimmy in the Box (Boston, Massachusetts, United States)
- Local Impact: Landslide Detection Squad (Perth, Australia)
Congratulations! This year was extra special because we marked the 10th annual event of Space Apps. For the first time, we added four new award categories for a total of ten Global Awards this year. These Global Award winners represent the top projects submitted from the over 2,800 projects received.
We also celebrated ten years by forming a partnership of ten space agencies that included the Australian Space Agency, Brazilian Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, National Space Activities Commission of Argentina, National Space Science Agency of Bahrain, Paraguayan Space Agency, and South African National Space Agency. Our hope in engaging a global group of space agency partners is to bring even more people from all over the world into the Space Apps community to celebrate diversity and to experience the wonderful rigor, fun, and friendship that this event holds.
I’m happy that Space Apps 2021 celebrated the largest number of virtual registrants we’ve seen since the program began in 2012. Hundreds of thousands of people have participated since then, and some really impactful projects have come out of it. The growth and the results of the program make me so pleased and excited for the future of Space Apps.
Congratulations again to all the winners! Every year, the ideas that come out of the event inspire me with their innovation and creativity.
You can also view former NASA astronaut Cady Coleman’s announcement about the winners on Twitter and learn more about the winners here. Join our Space Apps community! Follow Space Apps on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Also, please join us next year for Space Apps 2022. Make sure to mark your calendar for October 1-2, 2022.
I hope to see you all next year,
Sandra Cauffman
Deputy Director, Astrophysics Division, NASA