Students, professionals, and community members in Albuquerque are invited to participate in the NASA International Space Apps Challenge, which will take place for the second time in the city on October 4–5 at Q Station, 3225 Central Ave. The event is open to all ages and skill levels, with those under 18 required to be accompanied and registered by an adult.
Participants will use NASA data to develop a range of creative solutions—including apps, tools, games, songs, or dances—to address one of 18 global challenges. Topics this year include low-Earth orbit commercialization, bioscience dashboards, sustainable agriculture games, and more.
“On October 4th & 5th, teams around the world have 48 hours to solve 1 out of 18 challenges,” said Raven Otero-Symphony, University of New Mexico alumna and local lead for the challenge. “These challenges are real-world problems written by NASA scientists and vary in difficulty level to ensure everyone can contribute. Last year was the first time Albuquerque was a host city.”
Otero-Symphony noted that last year’s local winners focused on wildfires—an issue relevant to New Mexico communities—and highlighted new opportunities this year: “Our local winners tackled wildfires, an issue that deeply affects our New Mexican communities. This year, there are new challenges in agriculture, air pollution, city planning, and more that we believe New Mexicans are in a unique position to solve.”
Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three teams at the Albuquerque event. The first-place winner will also be nominated for consideration as a global winner by NASA’s international board.
“The United States doesn’t make the top five countries when it comes to Global Winners,” says Otero-Symphony.” This year, we want the first New Mexican team to win a trip to NASA headquarters and have their ideas recognized in Washington D.C. Even if one of our teams isn’t selected by the international board, we’ve sweetened the deal with cash prizes and interactive moments for everyone to enjoy in October.”
Teams are encouraged but not required; participants without a team can connect with others at the event through Space Apps #505 Astronauts. Teams typically consist of four or five people from diverse backgrounds such as technology, business, creative fields, or storytelling.
“Challenges on Earth and in space affect all of us,” says Otero-Symphony. The saying goes: “At Space Apps, there’s always room for one more.” That’s the goal of Space Apps: no matter your background, your ideas count!
Participants should bring a laptop and charger as well as any materials relevant to their chosen challenge. They may also bring lunch or money if they plan to eat outside Q Station.
The previous edition saw over 93,000 participants from 163 countries worldwide. The Albuquerque event is sponsored locally by organizations including City of Albuquerque Economic Development and Ezee Fiber. Globally it is supported by NASA along with more than 15 partner space agencies.
“This is very significant for Albuquerque. The NASA International Space Apps Challenge isn’t just a hackathon, it’s a global movement of problem-solvers, artists, and entrepreneurs coming together to help our world,” says Otero-Symphony. “Albuquerque is making strides in space exploration, quantum, and R&D, but how much of that is rooted in community for the everyday person? When we talk about these things, who feels like they “belong” in the room? Who are we leaving out?”
Registration information can be found online; additional questions can be directed via email at SpaceAppsABQ@gmail.com.
