Science, innovation, and fun at the NASA Space Apps hackathon

On the first weekend of October, the NASA International Space Apps Challenge 2023 took place, marking the world's largest global STEM hackathon. The event focused on the theme “Explore Open Science Together” and was organized by NASA, with support from 9 space agencies worldwide, including ESA. The 2023 edition successfully brought together over 50,000 participants at more than 320 locations worldwide. GMV supported and collaborated in the event held in Madrid.

On October 6, the Madrid edition commenced with a grand opening event featuring representatives from the Economy, Innovation, and Internal Revenue Department of the City Council of Madrid, the Madri+d Foundation, the hackathon organizers, and other entities. The ceremony was graced by the presence of Marcus Watkins, the director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), as well as Spanish astronauts Pablo Álvarez and Sara García from ESA.

On October 7th and 8th, the hackathon itself got underway, running simultaneously with the rest of the cities. Teams had 48 hours to resolve one of the 31 challenges presented by NASA within the context of this initiative. Armed with open data from space agencies affiliated with the NASA International Space Apps Challenge, participants proposed imaginative and innovative solutions in areas such as space exploration, interplanetary magnetic fields, fire prevention, and the safeguarding of Earth and its oceans.

Miguel Ángel Molina, Deputy General Manager of Space Systems at GMV, had the privilege of delivering the closing remarks at the Madrid edition of NASA Space Apps. His inspiring talk delved into GMV's origins and journey, aiming to ignite a passion for science and technology among the participants. Molina also served as a jury member, selecting the two winning teams that will advance to the semifinal stage. Starting in October, these teams, alongside other semifinalists from various locations, will undergo evaluation by a panel of experts. The top solutions chosen will be presented to NASA experts at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, in the United States.