This October 7-8, the 2023 NASA International Space Apps Challenge had a record-breaking number of 57,999 registered participants from 152 countries/territories. After kicking off the Welcome to Space Apps 2023 premiere on October 6 with the NASA Space Apps Program Scientist, Dr. Keith Gaddis, thousands of participants and teams from around the world collaborated to create solutions to the challenges we face on Earth and in space. 8,715 teams of various ages, backgrounds, interests, and skill sets tackled 30 challenges and created 5,556 projects.
The 2023 theme of “Explore Open Science Together” with NASA TOPS
We celebrated this year’s theme of “Explore Open Science Together” in collaboration with NASA’s Transform to Open Science (TOPS) to inspire participants from all around the globe to explore open science practices that are open to all. Open science is the principle and practice of making scientific research available to all while respecting diverse cultures, maintaining security and privacy, and fostering collaborations, reproducibility, and equity. The theme also acknowledges 2023 as A Year of Open Science - as declared by NASA, the White House, and other Federal Agencies.
Space Agency Partners
13 Space Agency Partners joined us this year, including two new Space Agency Partners: the Italian Space Agency and the Turkish Space Agency. The Space Agency Partners returning from last year included the Australian Space Agency, Brazilian Space Agency, Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, Indian Space Research Organization, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Mexican Space Agency, National Space Activities Commission of Argentina, National Space Science Agency of Bahrain, Paraguayan Space Agency, and the South African National Space Agency. This global group provided participants with free and open data, as well as their resources and expertise, ultimately increasing access to space and science opportunities worldwide.
Global Collaboration
Each year, NASA Space Apps strives to engage people from all over the world, and for the second year in a row, India, Egypt, Turkey, Brazil, and Pakistan continue to hold the highest number of registered participants. Local Leads are one of the driving forces behind the success and the global reach of each NASA Space Apps Challenge. This year, Local Leads hosted 402 Local Events in cities around the world. They brought individuals from their communities together to form teams and guided participants throughout their hackathon journeys, whether that was in person or virtually. For participants who couldn't attend a Local Event in their city, the Universal Event had 3,195 registrations. The Universal Event welcomes anyone, regardless of their geographic location. At NASA Space Apps, “there's always space for one more,” and we are proud to see our global community members – regardless of their backgrounds and experiences – embrace this value to create, explore, learn, and build together.
The Space Apps community extends beyond those participating in the hackathon. It also includes 135 NASA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), 24 Space Apps Navigators, 26 Amplification Collaborators, and our 12 Global Offers, which all play pivotal roles in ensuring the success and inclusivity of each NASA Space Apps Challenge. SMEs and Space Apps Navigators volunteer their time to help answer questions about the challenges and provide encouragement and guidance during the hackathon. Our Collaborators increase accessibility, amplify NASA Space Apps to diverse networks, and help provide optional tools to participants to help advance their projects.
As we reflect on the growth, collaboration, and shared passions for space and science in each NASA Space Apps Challenge, we want to thank all the participants, our Space Agency Partners, Local Leads, SMEs, Navigators, and Collaborators. Each year’s NASA Space Apps Challenge is not possible without this global community, and together, we can continue to make history.
Stay tuned for more announcements and exciting updates coming soon. In mid-November, we will announce the Global Finalists, and in January 2024, we'll reveal the 2023 Global Winners and the 2024 NASA Space Apps Challenge date.
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