In 2007, a small group of people began an intentional, collaborative experiment in open, transparent, and direct communication about your space program. Our goal was to enable your direct participation in exploring and contributing to NASA’s mission.

Many of us have since begun new adventures. This site will remain as an archive of the accomplishments of the openNASA experiment.

Announcing the Challenges for the 2013 International Space Apps Challenge

By Nick Skytland, 18 March 2013
 Nick Skytland

The International Space Apps Challenge is an international mass collaboration focused on space exploration that takes place over 48-hours in cities around the world. The event embraces collaborative problem solving with a goal of producing relevant open-source solutions. Today, we are announcing the challenges for this years event!  The challenges are focused on improving life on Earth and life in space in the areas of open source software, open hardware, data visualization and citizen science. As we get closer to the event expect more detail, data resources, and content to help you in your work. You can find out more about all the challenges at http://spaceappschallenge.org/challenges

NASA Challenges

Aligning the Stars
Match and align the stars in Aurora imagery taken by Astronauts on the International Space Station.

Asteroid Hunter
Design a space mission to better predict the orbital dynamics of an asteroid.

Catch a Meteor
Create an app that would allow observers of a meteor shower to trace the location, color and size of the shooting star.

Citizen generated database of observed Near Earth Objects
Create a platform to enables citizen astronomers to register, submit findings, and help rank the findings of other citizen astronomers.

Comparing Earth Landscapes with Planets and Moons
Compare Earth landscapes with planetary surfaces like the moon, Mars, Mercury, Ceres, Vesta, etc.

Asteroid Hopper
Adapt the Planet Hopper app for use with small body space objects such as asteroids.

CubeSats for Asteroid Exploration
Create a CubeSat design for a mission to astroids near Earth.

Deployable Greenhouse
Develop a deployable greenhouse that could be used on a space mission to the Moon or Mars.

Kennedy Space Center Spaceport 2040
Envision what Kennedy Space Center Spaceport will look like in the year 2040.

Hitch a Ride to Mars
Design a CubeSat for an upcoming Mars mission.

Moonville
Develop a game to virtually build a self-sustaining lunar industry.

My Virtual Mentor
Expand the online presence for the NASA GIRLS program to mobile and/or tablet platforms.

No Delays
Create a visualization that increases understanding of the problems of our current air traffic control system.

No More Sand Chart
Visualize the trends over the life of the NASA’s Aeronautics Test Program.

Off the Grid
Discover and promote sustainable living, using technologies and data from Earth and space.

Seven Minutes of Science
Develop a concept to make use of 150kg of ejectable mass during the entry and landing phase of a Mars mission to accomplish scientific or technical objectives.

SkyMorph Imagery
Create an improved means for accessing SkyMorph images and catalogs.

Space Station Benefits to Humanity
Develop a tool to improve the understanding of the incredible benefits that International Space Station is delivering back to Earth.

Spot the Station
Extend the functionality of the Spot the Station site that allows you to share your sightings of the International Space Station with others.

Syncing NASA’s Open Source Projects
Create an application that mirrors changes to NASA’s github presence.

Visual Intercranial Pressure Visualization
Visualization and model intracranial pressure and what factors can contribute to it.

Visualization of NASA’s Economic Impact
Share the story of NASA’s economic impact in a new and compelling way.

Why We Explore
Share the “why” of space exploration through the creation of compelling narratives and visualizations.

Non-NASA Challenges

Adopt a Spacecraft Voyager 1
Humanize the Voyager mission through the creation of a data visualization, app, or even a physical object.

ArduSat
Extend the functionality of ArduSat - an open satellite platform based on Arduino.

Backyard Poultry Farmer
Create a poultry management system for backyard farmers.

Curiosity at Home
Foster a connection between citizens and the Mars rover through software, visualizations, or an app.

Democratization of the Dark side (of the Moon)
Explore the far side of the moon using available images and data by creating web applications and 3D-printed objects.

Earth from Space, an Interactive Journey
Create an application that allows users to overlay EarthKAM imagery on a 3D model of earth.

Earth Day Challenge
Explore the history of Earth Day using environmental data since 1970.

3D Printing Contest
Create an open source model of space hardware that can be generated by a 3D printer.

Lego Rovers
Design a remotely operation system to control a Lego Robot through a computer or smartphone.

Listening to the Stars
Recreate sounds of space using Earth-bound objects.

In the Sky with Diamonds
Design a piece of jewelry or wearable art that celebrates 55 Cancri E, a super-awesome carbon-rich exoplanet.

Make OpenROV a Very Remotely Operated Vehicle
Control an OpenROV from across the planet.

Mobile Incentives Tied to Utility Rates
Help consumers find relevant incentives, tax rebates, and savings for their energy efficiency and renewable energy efforts.

MySpaceCal
Combine the past and future time schedules of satellites into a common calendar that the world can easily access.

Reading by Starlight
Create a virtual tour of the star maps produced by the Kepler telescope.

Renewable Energy Explorer App
Create an app that integrates wind, solar, and geothermal energy data to show where combining them would have the greatest potential.

SciStarter Citizen Science App
Help humans understand and analyze microbial communities and compare with microbes on the International Space Station.

Seeing water from space
Create a visualization of Chile water resources, showing how they have changed over time relative to changes in climate.

Smart Cities, Smart Climate
Explore the impacts of atmospheric changes on the health, infrastructure and society in urban areas.

Soil Testing Kit
Experiment with croudsourced soil testing approaches and develop a simple means for users to feedback their soil measurements using web/phone technology.

Solar Flare
Visualize invisible (to the human eye) phenomena that can affect so many vital terrestrial activities.

The Blue Marble
Rethink space-based Earth imagery and make it more accessible to a broad audience of space enthusiasts.

Tour of the Moon
Enable humans worldwide to take an interactive tour of the Moon.

We Love Data
Rethink how people interact with space data in new and meaningful ways.

Wish You Were Here
Develop a compelling representation of weather on Mars.