NASA Space Apps Challenge, world’s largest hackathon, has announced the challenges for the 2025 edition

The winning teams worldwide will be invited to a NASA center or facility

• Identifying extrasolar planets using AI, exploring space biology, or finding sustainable solutions for the low Earth orbit economy – among the 18 challenges announced;
• For 48 hours, participants, organized in teams of up to 6 members, will collaborate to find solutions to the proposed challenges; they also have the opportunity to create their own challenge based on NASA data.

NASA Space Apps Challenge, the world’s largest hackathon, has announced the challenges for the 14th edition of the global competition, which will take place on the weekend of October 4-5, 2025, in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and several hundred other cities around the world. Romania is organizing the eighth edition this year. 

The challenges range from animating information collected by the Terra satellite and identifying extrasolar planets using artificial intelligence, to monitoring plant growth and exploring space biology. Sustainable solutions are being sought for the low Earth orbit economy, an area of Earth’s orbit that extends up to 2,000 kilometers in altitude, VR experiences dedicated to the oceans, and tools that leverage huge astronomical images. Participants can also propose original ideas through “Create Your Own Challenge”. All challenges include difficulty levels – low, medium, and high – and are available here.

Medium and high-difficulty challenges include developing an application that measures air quality using satellite data combined with ground measurements, or creating visual tools that convey to the public the experience of life aboard the International Space Station. Participants are also invited to devise methods for detecting marine predators using satellites and to design sustainable systems for recycling waste accumulated during long-term missions to Mars.

The 13 editions held so far have attracted 373,000 participants from 185 countries and territories, with the hackathon open to all Earth and space science enthusiasts, regardless of age or professional background. Persons under the age of 18 who wish to participate must be registered by a parent or legal guardian and be accompanied by them at the event. 

The 2023 edition saw the participation of 190 people from Romania aged between 16 and 56, and our country ranked sixth in Europe in terms of number of participants. 

The mission of the NASA Space Apps Challenge is to stimulate collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, encourage interest in Earth and space exploration, increase global awareness of NASA data, and develop the next generation of scientists, engineers, technologists, and designers.

For 48 hours, participants will have access to NASA’s public data and will work together to find solutions to problems on Earth and in space. Programmers, scientists, technology enthusiasts, engineers, designers, and storytelling specialists from around the world can participate in the hackathon.

Registrations for Bucharest can be made by accessing this link, and those for Cluj-Napoca by accessing this link. Those interested should click on the “Choose this local event” button on the registration page. The event in Bucharest takes place at the headquarters of Upgrade Education, a startup that prepares Romanian high school students for admission to top universities abroad. The event in Cluj-Napoca takes place at ClujHub.

Two winning teams will be selected for Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, which will participate in the global competition where they will compete with thousands of teams from around the world. The global winning teams will be invited to a NASA center or facility for a special event celebrating the winners.

Among the winning projects of previous hackathons were geo-agriculture solutions, fire management solutions in areas without mobile phone or internet access, and an application for uploading videos from space, with each image being converted into sound.

Partners for this edition include the US Embassy, Stripe, Data Sweep, Techcelerator, Upgrade Education, ClujHub, EKA, Startup Reaktor, ROSPIN, Republica Bio, BISM ( Business International School of Management), Science & Technology Association, and media partners Radio Guerrilla, Start-up.ro, Știință & Tehnică Magazine, and Mindcraft Stories.

“I am delighted that we can host the eighth edition of the NASA Space Apps Challenge at Upgrade Education. At Upgrade, our vision is to awaken a generation with strong character – and character is most clearly seen in teams: when people from different cultures, fields, and specializations collaborate to build something greater than themselves. That is why I am delighted to support this event, which inspires young people to dream big – whether in Romania or beyond its borders, all the way to NASA,” said Constantin Bosînceanu, founder and CEO of Upgrade Education, the host of the Bucharest edition.

The theme of the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2025 is “Learn, Launch, Lead”.

“NASA Space Apps Challenge is a place where young people arrive curious and leave with a united team, a prototype, and a host of new ideas. In 48 hours, teams use open data from NASA to build something that really helps, on Earth or in space. The theme ‘Learn, Launch, Lead’ is a healthy order: you learn for real, you launch something small, you lead by example. We invite young people to bring their friends and build something impressive together, based on the 18 challenges proposed by NASA,” said Aleodor Tabarcea, engineering manager at Stripe, main partner of this edition of NASA Space Apps Challenge. 

“The space economy is becoming increasingly important in the global technology market, as can be seen from very recent events such as SpaceX’s launch of low-orbit satellites to events in recent years such as the expansion of the defense and drone sectors. At ROTSA, we are constantly looking at how we can support entrepreneurs in Romania to remain competitive, identify and seize opportunities in these industries. Participants have the chance to gain skills in science, use NASA data to create solutions that help people, and contribute to increasing the level of innovation in their community,” said Diana Ardelean, Executive Director of ROTSA (Romanian Tech Startups Association), co-organizer of the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2025 in Romania.

“It is impressive to see how, year after year, a vibrant community of innovators is emerging in Romania who know how to use scientific data for the public good. The event bridges the gap between space and everyday life, between data provided by NASA missions and impactful solutions for climate, agriculture, mobility, and education. This year’s theme—Learn, Launch, Lead—perfectly reflects a path of transformation: continuous learning, bold initiative, collaborative leadership. I appreciate the efforts of ROTSA, DiFine PR, and ClujHub in organizing the Romanian edition, and I encourage young Romanians to join this international experience of collective learning and creation,” said Dr. Ulpia-Elena Botezatu, responsible for space policy at the Romanian Space Agency and chair of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS).

Among the space agencies partnering with the event are: the European Space Agency, the Australian Space Agency, the Brazilian Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation, the Italian Space Agency, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the Mexican Space Agency, the National Commission for Space Activities in Argentina, the National Space Agency of Bahrain, the Paraguayan Space Agency, the National Space Agency of South Africa, and the Turkish Space Agency.

In Romania, the world’s largest hackathon is organized by ROTSA, ClujHub and DiFine PR. The first edition of the NASA Space Apps Challenge in Romania took place in 2016.

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About NASA International Space Apps Challenge

NASA International Space Apps Challenge (Space Apps) is an international hackathon for programmers, scientists, designers, storytellers, creators, builders, and technology specialists. During the hackathon, teams from cities around the world use public data from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and its partners in space agencies to address real-world problems on Earth and in space.

The Space Apps Challenge is an innovative NASA incubation program held annually.

The program brings together thousands of people from around the world who work with NASA’s public data for 48 hours. Since its launch in 2012, the NASA Space Apps Challenge has engaged more than 373,000 people from over 185 countries and territories.

Space Apps is managed by the Earth Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.