Overview
The NASA Space Apps Challenge 2026 will take place on 14–15 November, with local events in Nicosia and Limassol giving participants in Cyprus the opportunity to join the international hackathon.
Held under the theme “The Next Frontier,” the two-day event invites participants to develop solutions to challenges involving Earth and space science, using publicly available data from NASA and its international space agency partners.
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The global competition brings together students, engineers, scientists, developers, designers, entrepreneurs, and other enthusiasts to work in teams, exchange ideas, and develop projects addressing scientific and technological challenges.
Participation is free, and previous experience in programming or space science is not required.
What To Expect
The NASA Space Apps Challenge is an international hackathon in which teams work on challenges developed by NASA experts.
Participants use open scientific data to develop applications, data visualisations, games, prototypes and other creative solutions.
The challenges cover a range of subjects related to Earth and space science, including space exploration, astrophysics, agriculture, software development and storytelling.
Participants can bring together skills from different disciplines, including artificial intelligence, data analysis, engineering, science, design and communication.
Teams can include up to six participants, who select a challenge according to their interests and expertise.
Completed projects must be submitted through the official NASA Space Apps platform. Submissions are evaluated through a local judging process, with selected eligible projects nominated for consideration in the global judging stage.
Two Local Events In Cyprus
The 2026 competition includes local events in both Limassol and Nicosia, allowing participants to take part in the same global hackathon from either city.
Limassol
The Limassol edition is scheduled for 14–15 November 2026.
Further information and local registration are available through the NASA Space Apps Challenge Limassol page.
Nicosia
Participants should consult the NASA Space Apps Challenge Nicosia page for venue information, local arrangements and registration.
Both events form part of the same international NASA Space Apps Challenge.
Who Can Participate
The hackathon welcomes people of all ages, experience levels and professional backgrounds.
Participants do not need to be programmers or scientists. The competition encourages collaboration among people with interests and skills in technology, engineering, entrepreneurship, design, communication, science, and other fields.
Individuals can register and form or join a team, while existing groups can participate together.
Participants under the age of 18 must be registered by a parent or legal guardian and accompanied by a parent or legal guardian throughout the event, in accordance with NASA’s participation rules.
How To Register
Registration for the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2026 is open through the official competition website.
Participants must create or access a NASA Space Apps account, register for the 2026 competition, and select their preferred local event in Nicosia or Limassol.
Team formation and project submissions are also managed through the platform.
Global registration remains open until the hackathon closes on 15 November 2026. Projects must be submitted by 23:59 local time on Sunday, 15 November, to be considered for judging.
Participation is free.
Full details, official challenges and registration instructions are available at spaceappschallenge.org/2026.
About The NASA Space Apps Challenge
The NASA Space Apps Challenge is an annual international hackathon bringing together participants from different disciplines to develop solutions using NASA’s open data and information from its space agency partners.
Held annually since 2012, the competition encourages collaboration, problem-solving, and public engagement with science and technology.
According to NASA, the 2025 edition attracted more than 114,000 registered participants across 551 local events worldwide.
The 2026 edition involves 17 international space agency partners, including the European Space Agency.
