NASA Space Apps is world's largest hackathon that occurs over 48 hours in more than 200 locations all over the world. For the first time this year, Georgia is joining Space Apps Challenge.

Coders, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, builders, technologists, and everyone enthusiastic about curiosity come together to address challenges on Earth and in space.

NASA Space Apps Challenge is more than just a hackathon - it’s also a serious competition. Best projects will be considered for Global Awards.

Co-organized by Tbilisi Startup Bureau and Ilia State University, the hackathon will take place on October 19-21, 2018, in Iliauni Abastumani Astrophysical Observatory.

This year's edition of NASA Space Apps Challenge Abastumani is supported by Georgia's Innovation and Technology Agency (GITA), Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR), Grant Thornton Georgia, Crystal MFO, ARDI Insurance, Edison, Parsek 1, Portal, Hausbrandt Coffee, and XL Energy Drink.

What are this year's challenges?

⚒️ Create a variety of useful tools and tech

- Design an autonomous free-flyer to inspect a spacecraft for damage from Micro-Meteoroid and Orbital Debris (MMOD).

- Develop a sensor to be used by humans on Mars.

- Create a tool to track international rocket launch information.

- Pose your own challenge, and create a solution of your own choosing! (Please note that by choosing to bring your own challenge, you will not be eligible for a Global Award.)

🌏 Help others discover the Earth

- Use NASA Earth imagery data to create 1) an art piece, or 2) a tool that allows the imagery to be manipulated to create unique pieces of art.

- Create and deploy web apps that will enable anyone to explore Earth from orbit! Visualize Earth science satellites and mission data using interactive virtual globes, such as NASA’s Web WorldWind. Use data sets from NASA’s Open Data Portal to present fire, ice, clouds, meteorites, or water temperature spectra.

- Create a short documentary to capture the essence of NASA’s International Space Apps Challenge.

⚠️ Dive into NASA data to prepare the world for surprises

- Create an easy-to-use way for people to develop their own, custom checklists – both items and plans – for specific kinds of disasters. Use NASA images, videos, or data visualizations to illustrate each disaster type, to help people understand how to prepare.

- Build a crowdsourcing tool for citizens to contribute to early detection, verification, tracking, visualization, and notification of wildfires.

- Tell the world about the asteroid named Bennu.

❄️ Understand our planet’s cryosphere

- Design a quest-like game to teach others about polar environments and how they are changing. Use NASA data to help adventurers plan their quest and present them with challenges along the way.

- Design an app that lets a user pick a location and learn about the parts of Earth's cryosphere that impact that location.

- Design a data analysis and/or visualization tool to show the spatial and temporal changes in Arctic and Antarctic ice to a general audience.

💡 Get creative when it comes to space science and exploration

- Create a game using images from the Hubble Space Telescope as integral components!

- Develop a concept for a time capsule with content to educate an extraterrestrial civilization about human culture and our solar system.

- Use NASA Data to Plan a Rover Mission on the Moon!

- Generate Virtual Reality environments for the surface of the Moon and Mars! Obtain 3D models from NASA resources, such as Moon Trek and Mars Trek. Integrate 3D models of surface exploration systems and habitats. Develop and deploy the virtual world at a hosting service.

❤️ Improve life on Earth

-Analyze and/or display data to communicate interesting findings or improve public understanding of our home planet.

- Characterize land cover/land use at informal settlements of displaced populations using NASA satellite datasets.

- Integrate NASA Earth science data and citizen science data to learn more about the connections between human, animal, and environmental health.

More details: https://2018.spaceappschallenge.org/challenges/

Who can participate?

Anyone who has an idea, knowledge, skills and passion! You just need to be 18 years old or over as of October 19, 2018.

Is the registration individual or by team?

Participants register as individuals, not as teams. You can start to form project teams before the event, or teams may form or add additional members on the first day of the Space Apps event. Regardless of when teams form, participants are not permitted to start working on their solutions until the Space Apps event begins.

Do I have to know English?

Yes, the working language is English, and in case your project wins, it will be considered for Global Awards.

How about logistics?

Transportation, food, and accommodation will be provided by the organizers.

When can I register?

The registration opened at 12:00 pm (Tbilisi time) October 9, and closed at 6:00 pm on October 16.

Registration link (no longer accepting registrations): https://2018.spaceappschallenge.org/locations/abastumani/

If you are unable to participate in an in-person Space Apps event, you can still hack virtually from just about anywhere on planet Earth. Come join us for the Space Apps 2018 Virtual Event, and be part of an awesome community working together to address major challenges on Earth. In 2018, the Space Apps Virtual Event will have a Pre-Event starting at 12:00 pm UTC on October 19th! The purpose of this Pre-Event is for people participating from around the world to find a team to work with.

Virtual particpation link:

https://2018.spaceappschallenge.org/locations/virtual/

Can I attend the event as a guest?

Yes, the event is open to public and is free to attend.