The Power Of Ten: Meet The 10 Winners Of NASA’s 10th Annual Space Apps Challenge
NASA’s 10th annual Space Apps Challenge was a global event that brought together innovative ideas from teams across the world.
The 2021 Challenge weekend was held Oct. 2-3, 2021 and the global winners were announced on Dec. 10, 2021.
The theme for the 2021 Space Apps challenge – the Power of Ten – was selected to celebrate the 10th annual event and highlight the 10 global space agency partners who came together to make this event the most successful challenge to date. The international event featured 28 unique challenges with 28,286 registrants and 4,534 teams from 162 countries around the world. Those staggering statistics emphasize the value of including diversity of thought, points of view, and a wide variety of skills and talents to collectively solve the most challenging problems faced on Earth and in space.
“Our goal is for the next generation of explorers to not only learn about NASA’s data but to share in the process of using that knowledge – to create and apply that data to solutions to real-world concerns,” said Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s associate administrator for science, in a recent blog post. “The continuous uptick in global participation in this challenge exemplifies our commitment to creating opportunities that are accessible and equitable to all.”
The level of global participation and team dynamics underscored NASA’s efforts to ensure that the Space Apps Challenge community reflected the level of diversity that exists globally. The challenges spanned a wide range of topics, talents, and interests creating an environment where anyone and everyone could participate and add value. Of the participating 4,534 teams, 37 teams were selected as finalists, 20 teams received honorable mention status, and 10 teams were announced as the global winners.
Meet the 2021 Space Apps Challenge Global Winners
The 10 winning teams created projects in response to 28 challenges addressing real-world problems on Earth and in space. The solutions ranged from data organization, app creation, space travel, and many more. Here are the winners:
Best Use of Science: Ani’s Cuff (Taipei, Taiwan)
Best Use of Data: Cambridge Asteroids (Cambridge, England)
Best Use of Technology: Change Maker (Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia)
Galactic Impact: 4 Seeds (Chino Hills, California, United States)
Best Mission Concept: Mohakash (Khulna, Bangladesh)
Most Inspirational: Bioshi (Panama)
Best Storytelling: Space Travelers (Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador)
Global Connection: Eagle AI (Morocco)
Art & Technology: Jimmy in the Box (Boston, Massachusetts, United States)
Local Impact: Landslide Detection Squad (Perth, Australia)
For more information about Space Apps and to learn more about NASA’s 2022 Space Apps Challenge (Oct. 1-2, 2022), visit https://www.spaceappschallenge.org/
