Participant FAQ

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. Recognizable names, voices, and likenesses of persons under the age of 18 should not be included in any video or project submissions. Please read the details in our Participant Terms & Conditions.

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:

1. Log in or create an account on our website.
2. Register for the NASA Space Apps Challenge once registration opens for the year.
3. Choose a Local Event near you or the virtual Universal Event.
4. Form or join a team to address one of the challenges.
5. Join a Local Event during the hackathon and submit your project for judging according to the ending time of your Local Event.

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 are updated prior to the hackathon.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Step-by-step instructions on how to navigate this platform will be provided in the Space Apps Connect Guide.

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.