Each year, NASA Space Apps inspires innovators worldwide to leverage NASA’s open data to tackle scientific and technical challenges related to Earth and space exploration. The 2025 Winners Celebration brought together Global Winners, Local Leads, NASA Leadership and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) for a full day of recognition and learning at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
This year’s event combined keynotes, tours, and an award ceremony to honor the achievements of teams spanning multiple years, including winners impacted by the pandemic, going back to 2019.
Global Winners pose for a photo at the Rocket Garden on the Goddard campus. Photo Credit: NASA/Katy Comber
Connecting with NASA Leaders & Subject Matter Experts
Dr. Makenzie Lystrup, Center Director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, kicked off the morning keynote, recognizing the importance of the NASA Space Apps community as a global network of problem solvers advancing innovative thinking.
Dr. Makenzie Lystrup, Center Director of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, delivers the opening remarks. Photo Credit: NASA/Katy Comber
In the afternoon, Dr. Karen St. Germain, Director of NASA’s Earth Science Division, delivered a keynote that focused on how NASA’s Earth Science research supports real world applications and scientific discovery. Her remarks underscored the agency’s commitment to advancing Earth observations that inform decision making at multiple levels. She commended the NASA Space Apps community for their ingenuity, highlighting how participants help bring NASA science closer to communities around the world.
Dr. Nicky Fox, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, highlighted the breadth of NASA’s science portfolio, from heliophysics to astrophysics, and praised the ingenuity of the NASA Space Apps participants in applying NASA data to real world challenges.
Dr. Karen St. Germain, Earth Science Division Director, and Dr. Nicky Fox, Associate Administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (both centered), pose for a picture with the NASA Space Apps Global Organizing Team.
Global Winners engage with Eleanor Stokes, Program Manager for the Earth Information Center, during Lightning Talks.
During the lightning talks, Global Winners had the opportunity to meet and learn from NASA SMEs who authored many of the challenges. These discussions highlighted the range of topics tackled using NASA data and offered winners a chance to learn directly from these experts.
NASA Goddard Tour
Winners experienced a behind-the-scenes tour of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The Global Winners experienced five stops throughout the Goddard campus, each offering a deeper look at the science and engineering driving NASA’s Earth and space missions. They learned about the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope and its groundbreaking infrared capabilities that will help answer fundamental questions about dark energy, exoplanets, and the evolution of the universe. Another stop brought them into the Spacecraft Test and Integration Complex, where NASA instruments and spacecraft are assembled and rigorously tested to prepare them for the conditions of space.
Global Winners tour NASA Goddard’s Spacecraft Test and Integration Complex. Photo Credit: NASA/Katy Comber
Global Winners get a firsthand look at work underway on the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
The Heliophysics “WOW” room gave winners an up close look at how NASA studies the Sun and space weather, while a visit to the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) showcased how NASA scientists model solar events and develop tools to forecast their impact on Earth. A science presentation rounded out the experience, during which participants heard directly from Goddard researchers about how the center advances scientific understanding across Earth science, astrophysics, planetary science, heliophysics, and other fields.
Global Winners enjoy a presentation in the Heliophysics “WOW” room.
Honoring Global Winners & Local Leads
The day concluded with an award ceremony, where each of the winning teams were recognized on stage. NASA SMEs presented certificates to honor the innovation, teamwork, and collaboration that led to these winning projects. The ceremony celebrated the accomplishments of each team and the spirit of creativity and curiosity that define NASA Space Apps.
Global Winners pose for a photo with their certificates at the conclusion of the award ceremony. Photo Attribution: NASA/Katy Comber
Local Leads and a GO Team member pose for a photo.
NASA Space Apps is proud to celebrate these remarkable winners who exemplify the value of open data, interdisciplinary collaboration, and problem solving. We’re grateful to our Local Leads, the dedicated organizers who bring this hackathon to life in their communities worldwide. Their leadership is the foundation of what makes NASA Space Apps an experience for all!
We’re already looking forward to the 2025 NASA Space Apps Challenge, taking place on October 4–5. Registration opens in July!
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