NASA Launches Second International Space Apps Challenge

In April 2012, NASA led an international collaboration with government agencies and civil society organizations around the world that culminated in a two day technology development event called the International Space Apps Challenge. The goal of the event was to promote innovation through international collaboration and it brought together over 2,000 people (ages 16-70) in 25 cities in 17 countries on all 7 continents (and in space) who worked together to develop more than 100 unique open-source solutions to improve life on Earth and life in space. The event, which was part of the United States commitment to the Open Government Parntership, was such as success that NASA has decided to host a second event on April 20-21, 2013. Today, we announced the first round of 30 locations for the International Space Apps Challenge which are also listed below*. The event is an opportunity for government to harness the expertise and entrepreneurial spirit of citizen explorers to help address global challenges. During the event, representatives from NASA and other international government agencies will gather with scientists and citizens to use publicly-released open data to create solutions for software, hardware and visualization challenges ranging from robotics to citizen science platforms to applications of remote sensing data. Specific challenges are being compiled now and will be announced publicly later this spring prior to the event. The International Space Apps Challenge offers a tangible opportunity to apply the principles of transparency, participation, and collaboration and is a visible demonstration of your commitment to the Open Government Partnership. Therefore, we want to extend an invitation for YOU to get involved. If you are interested in hosting an event in your city, submitting a challenge to be considered for the event, or participating in the event, please visit http://spaceappschallenge.org/interest.

Locations hosting the International Space Apps Challenge on April 20-21, 2013:

• North America:
  • New York City, NY
  • Syracuse, NY
  • Rochester, NY
  • Reno, NV
  • Detroit, MI
  • Austin, TX
  • Monterrey, Mexico
• South America:
  • Belo Horizonte, Brazil
  • Guayaquil, Ecuador
  • Santiago, Chile
• Asia:
  • Tokyo, Japan
  • Jakarta, Indonesia
  • Bangalore, India
  • Kathmandu, Nepal
• Africa:
  • Pretoria, South Africa
• Europe:
  • Exeter, UK
  • London, UK
  • York, UK
  • Gothenberg, Sweden
  • Skopje, Macedonia
  • Paris, France
  • Sofia, Bulgaria
  • Tampere, Finland
  • Lausanne, Switzerland
  • Krakow, Poland
• Australia:
  • Brisbane, Queensland
  • Adelaide, South Australia
  • Canberra
  • Melbourne, Victoria
  • Sydney, NSW