The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines hosted its second National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Apps Challenge last October 2019. The Embassy brought the event to Davao in collaboration with American Corner Davao at the Ateneo de Davao University.
Already in its 8th year, the Space Apps Challenge is a NASA-led international hackathon taking place simultaneously in different cities around the world, aiming to address pressing challenges on Earth and in space. During the Challenge, individuals and communities from different backgrounds gather together to share their talents and skills while using NASA’s free and open data to create solutions to real-world problems. This year’s challenge categories include protecting Earth’s oceans, studying our moon, exploring planets near and far, analyzing stars and beyond, and understanding our world and planet.
The hackathon has two other legs in the Philippines besides Davao. One in Iloilo and another in Manila through De La Salle University. Each city is expected to announce two local team winners at the end of the event who will advance to the global judging round managed by NASA.