Vancouver

Hello, Vancouver!

Event Details

Save the Date

The NASA Space Apps Challenge will take place from Saturday Oct. 1st to Sunday Oct. 2nd. Join us in Vancouver or from the surrounding area by clicking "Register Now" on the right side of this page.

Location

This year, we will be hosting a virtual event. We are using CSA Discord server as our main tool of communication. That means less commute, and more time for new ideas and problem-solving! We have plenty of fun activities and games planned in addition to the hackathon experience, so rest assured that this won't be just another video conference call.

What is NASA Space Apps?

About the Event

The NASA International Space Apps Challenge is an international hackathon for people from all walks of life and of all abilities. Participants from cities around the world - including our very own Vancouver, BC - get together to brainstorm solutions to real-world problems using NASA's free and open data. Over the course of two days, participants from Vancouver and the surrounding area will form teams to design a project in response to a NASA Space Apps challenge of their choice. After the event, judges, who are experts, entrepreneurs, or educators in the community, will decide on one or more nominee(s) to advance to the global level. Judges selected by NASA Space Apps will then choose a global winner. We will also take votes for a local People's Choice Winner who may or may not be selected for global judging, but whose project inspires the most enthusiasm from other participants. Stay tuned for information on local prizes!

NASA Space Apps has been running since 2012, and is a NASA-led initiative organized in collaboration with Booz Allen Hamilton, Mindgrub, SecondMuse, and the NASA Open Innovation Applied Sciences Program. This year, Vancouver's event is being planned by Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) Canada, which is a student-run, non-profit organization whose mission is to strengthen Canada’s future in space by providing post-secondary students with unique projects, research programs, and professional development opportunities in the Canadian governmental, industrial, and institutional space sectors. To learn more about SEDS Canada, click here.

Who Can Participate?

Anyone, regardless of background or skill level, is welcome to join the Space Apps Challenge! There are a variety of different challenges at various difficulty levels, so if you are new to hackathons, fear not, there is something for you.

How Do Teams Work?

Feel free to register with friends and invite people you know - the more the merrier! You can ask your friends directly, or invite them via our Facebook event page. However, if you don't have a group of people who are up for the challenge, we have you covered. Before work on the projects begins, we will make sure everyone who needs a team has one that fits with their skills and goals for the hackathon. So, feel free to register solo - we'll be happy to welcome you.

Challenges

You can find this year's list of NASA challenges here and CSA challenges here. There are many categories to choose from, including arts, astrophysics, climate, diversity & equity, Earth, games, hardware, planets & moons, software, space exploration, and Sun, so you're sure to find a challenge that will tickle your fancy, regardless of your background or technical knowledge!

Still Have Questions?

If you want to learn more about NASA Space Apps, check out the About Page or the Participant FAQ. You can also contact your Local Leads, listed on the right side of this page, for any Vancouver-specific event inquiries.