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The NASA International Space Apps Challenge is the largest annual global hackathon. This two-day event fosters innovation through international collaboration by providing an opportunity for participants to utilize NASA’s free and open data and its Space Agency Partners’ space-based data to address real-world problems on Earth and in space.
The 2025 NASA Space Apps Challenge will take place October 4-5, 2025.
We invite you to Learn, Launch, Lead at this year’s hackathon alongside a vibrant network of scientists, technologists, and storytellers. Learn skills to succeed in STEM fields, launch ideas that transform NASA’s open data into actionable tools, and lead your community in driving technological innovation.
Through the NASA Space Apps Challenge, participants engage first-hand with NASA’s most relevant missions and research. The opportunity to Learn, Launch, Lead extends beyond the hackathon, empowering participants to carry new knowledge and skills into their classrooms, workplaces, and communities as they showcase real-world application and practical use of NASA data.
The NASA Space Apps Challenge offers opportunities for anyone with an interest in Earth and space science, no matter your age, skill level, or professional background! When you participate in the NASA Space Apps Challenge, you join a global community that embraces collaboration across borders, sectors, and cultures.
There is no cost to participate in the NASA Space Apps Challenge. If you are asked to pay money to participate in any aspect of a NASA Space Apps event, do not pay anything and please report to [email protected].
The NASA Space Apps Challenge is open to all ages! However, participants who are under the age of 18 must be registered for the event by a parent or legal guardian and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at all times during the event.
The NASA Space Apps Challenge takes place at hundreds of events around the world. You may participate in an in-person or virtual Local Event near you or the virtual Universal Event if there is not an event near you.
Local Events are organized by Local Leads. Learn more about how to host a Local Event.
Follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to connect with the NASA Space Apps community! Share your excitement and hackathon journey using #SpaceApps.
If you’d like to be more involved, learn more about how to become a Local Lead.
We strive to ensure that NASA Space Apps is a place where all feel they belong, where all are comfortable being authentic, and where all are empowered to contribute to their fullest.
If you experience or witness discrimination, harassment, or any form of bullying during the NASA Space Apps Challenge, or have any other concerns, please contact your Local Lead and/or the NASA Space Apps Global Organizing (GO) Team at [email protected]. The GO Team will take appropriate action, which may include warning or expelling offending participants from the event.
To participate in the NASA Space Apps Challenge, you must:
Throughout your hackathon journey, you will receive communications from the NASA Space Apps GO Team about updates and actions you need to take on spaceappschallenge.org as part of the hackathon. You will also receive information from your Local Lead about information specific to your Local Event.
Each year we provide Participant Guides to help you navigate each step of the hackathon. These provide step-by-step information to help you form teams, use Space Apps Connect, submit your project, and learn about judging and awards. These guides can be found on the Resources page and will be updated prior to the hackathon:
If you have a question not answered in the guides, reach out on our Contact Us page.
The NASA Space Apps Virtual Bootcamp is a series of video tutorials developed by NASA Space Apps Navigators, Global Winners, Space Agency Partners, Local Leads, Global Collaborators, and SMEs. These videos provide tips for a successful hackathon experience and guidance regarding the challenges, supporting resources, and open data.
You can find the Virtual Bootcamp on the Resources page and our YouTube channel.
Challenges are authored by NASA SMEs each year and encompass a wide variety of Earth and space science topics. Each team must select a challenge to address during the hackathon.
A summary of each challenge will be released first, followed by challenge statements, which include the full details, resources, and requirements. These will become available closer to the start of the hackathon. Teams are not allowed to begin working on the challenges prior to the hackathon.
Challenge Summaries will be available on August 21, 2025 and full statements will be released on September 16, 2025.
Yes, part of the NASA Space Apps Challenge experience is connecting with like-minded problem solvers from your own community and around the world! Participants are encouraged to create teams that include individuals with a variety of skill sets and backgrounds. Being on a team provides you with the opportunity to learn from one another and sets your team up for hackathon success.
While you may be on a team by yourself, we highly recommend that you work with other participants. Teams may have no more than six (6) members.
Team formation for the 2025 NASA Space Apps Challenge will open on August 21. Once team formation is open, you can join or create a team. Step-by-step instructions on how to create or join a team will be provided in the Team Formation Guide.
In order to be eligible for Global Judging, teams must submit their project through their team’s project page on spaceappschallenge.org. Step-by-step instructions on how to submit your project will be provided in the Project Submission Guide, which will become available on October 3.
Space Apps Connect serves as the collaborative communication forum for the NASA Space Apps Challenge community. It is completely FREE for registered participants to use. Joining Space Apps Connect is optional but highly encouraged. The platform allows you to connect with other hackathon participants as well as with Local Leads, Navigators, SMEs, Global Collaborators, and the NASA Space Apps Global Organizing (GO) Team. Space Apps Connect will open on September 23 and close at the conclusion of the hackathon.
Step-by-step instructions on how to navigate this platform will be provided in the Space Apps Connect Guide, which will become available on September 23.
All NASA Space Apps Challenge participants will receive a certificate on their account’s profile page recognizing their participation upon submitting their project. Projects will then be judged on specific criteria to determine Global Nominees, Honorable Mentions, Global Finalists, and Global Winners. Global Winners are announced upon the conclusion of judging.
Step-by-step instructions on how to navigate this platform will be provided in the Judging & Awards Guide, which will become available on October 3.