NASA Space Apps Challenge lands in Turin in 2022!
The largest annual space & science hackathon in the world is back in Turin, Italy: I3P, the Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico di Torino, will be the host of a local NASA Space Apps event for the sixth time, this year back with an in-person edition.
Space Apps gives participants the opportunity to bring projects to life for a wide range of applications. We are looking forward to seeing what innovative, creative ideas participants bring to the community this year!
Join the free competition in I3P on October 1 & 2 and work on your idea, project or even prototype to respond to Space Apps' challenges – stay tuned, as they will be published soon - while getting to know new interesting people, aiming to win the available prizes and generally having a blast over the weekend. Who knows what could come out of it? 🚀
What is a hackathon?
Traditionally, hackathons are technology development marathons or design sprints that draw on the talents and initiative of bright-minded volunteers – such as software developers, engineers, technologists, scientists, developers and designers.
NASA Space Apps is focused on developing real solutions to global challenges by the end of the event, which is open to creatives, storytellers, and anyone with a passion and desire to have an immediate impact on the world. For each edition, NASA designs challenges and the Global Organizing Team works with local hosts around the world, called Local Leads, to implement events where teams work intensively to design projects over the course of a 2 day period.
Who can participate?
Everyone can take part in the competition: every skill can be useful while working on a team project, no matter age or education. Register to Space Apps if you are a space enthusiast, if you are an engineer (or becoming one), if you are into communications or marketing - each team has to convince the judges that its project is the best one! - or if you are just looking for a chance to test yourself during a very special weekend.
Join the Turin event if you live in the city or in its area, or if it is the nearest local event you can find available (check the official locations to be sure of that). We are waiting for you!
How can you join the competition?
Start your registration to the event by signing up on the Space Apps platform: log in with your profile or create a new one - and check your email to activate your account - then select Turin as your event location of choice. The location page is the only place where participants can sign up for the local event, and each one has different registration limits, based on the venue capacity.
Register as an individual first, then you will have the chance to form your team: if you already have one, you can add your teammates to the team. We suggest you to create teams with 3 to 5 people - the maximum member limit is 6 - and possibly with complementary skills, in order to work on your project taking into account all its different aspects and challenges.
If you currently don't have a team to create or join, don't worry! At the start of the hackathon, in person in I3P on October 1 at 2 PM CEST, we will help you and make sure you can find someone as passionate as you on the challenge you want your project to answer to.
If you already registered to join the hackathon, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT AND YOUR SPAM FOLDER! WE WILL BE CONTACTING YOU BY EMAIL with important information about the event.
What prizes are there?
There are two categories of prizes:
1) LOCAL AWARDS
The Local Awards are acknowledgements offered by our local partners and sponsors, decided by the judge panel during the final judging process at the end of the in-presence event.
- 1st place Award: €1.000,00 - offered by the U.S. Mission in Italy - Awarded to the team receiving the highest score from the judge panel.
- 2nd place Award: €500,00 - offered by the innovative deep-tech company AIKO - Awarded to the team receiving the second highest score from the judge panel.
- Special award "Next Possible Future Award":€500,00 - offered by Center for Near Space (CNS), the think-tank devoted to future space scenarios of the Italian Institute for the Future (IIF), and its sponsors Lead Tech, T4I and Trans-Tech - Awarded to the team that will present the project which best interprets the Vision of the Cislunar City of CNS, selected by the judge from the Center.
2) GLOBAL AWARDS
While the main purpose of the hackathon is to encourage collaboration and cooperation, Space Apps does recognize exceptional projects each year.
NASA offers 10 Global Awards:
- Best Use of Science: The solution that makes the best and most valid use of science and/or the scientific method.
- Best Use of Data: The solution that best makes space data accessible, or leverages it to a unique application.
- Best Use of Technology: The solution that exemplifies the most innovative use of technology.
- Galactic Impact: The solution with the most potential to improve life on Earth or in the universe.
- Best Mission Concept: The solution with the most plausible concept and design.
- Most Inspirational: The solution that captures our hearts.
- Best Storytelling Award: The solution that most creatively communicates the potential of open data through the art of storytelling.
- Global Connection Award: The solution that best connects people around the world through technology.
- Art & Technology Award: The solution that most effectively combines technical and creative skills.
- Local Impact Award: The solution that demonstrates the greatest potential for local impact.
Please note that NASA reserves the right to change the award categories at any time.
Once travel is deemed safe, winning teams will receive an invitation to the Winners Trip, which could potentially include viewing a spacecraft launch at a NASA facility. Read more about it in the official FAQ.
Regardless of whether your team wins an award, participants who are on a registered team and submit a project by uploading it on the web platform by the end of the hackathon (October 2, 11:59 PM, local time) will receive a certificate recognizing their participation.
When and where will the event take place?
The Turin local edition of NASA Space Apps will start onSaturday, October 1 at 2 PM CEST and will end on Sunday, October 2 at 6 PM. Its venue will be I3P’s headquarters, located in corso Castelfidardo 30/a, 10129 Turin, and specifically in its Sala Agorà, the large open space at the top of the building where the resident startuppers and innovators do their magic every day!
Full schedule of the local Turin event (hours in Italian format and local time) taking place at the I3P headquarters:
1) Saturday, October 1, 2022
- 13:30 - 14:30: Participants reception (if you are a registered and confirmed participant, be punctual and show up in time, or you won't be able to join the hackathon!)
- 14:30 - 15:00: Team composition (for participants who don't have one already)
- 15:00 - 16:00: Introduction to the hackathon
- 16:00: Start of the hackathon!
- 20:00: Dinner for the participants, served as a buffet
- Evening & night: the hackathon goes on!
2) Sunday, October 2, 2022
- 09:00: Breakfast for the participants, served as a buffet
- Morning: the hackathon goes on!
- 13:00: Lunch for the participants, served as a buffet
- 15:00 - 16:00: Project finalization and delivery to the local organizing team
- 16:00 - 17:30: Project pitch of each competing team
- 17:30 - 18:00: Award ceremony and event conclusion