The university’s Department of Computer Science will host the International Space Apps Challenge this weekend for a second year in a row.
The global hackathon will see students team up in a contest to produce open-source solutions to address real needs on Earth and in space.
The two-day Space App Challenge event, scheduled to take place at nearly 100 different locations across the globe, intends to bring people together to tackle 40 new challenges based on NASA’s goals and mission priorities.
“The idea of a Challenge is so compelling because it acknowledges the fact that the world is facing serious challenges — and that we all have to work together to approach them,” event organisers wrote on the official Space App Challenge website.
“While there are prizes offered for great solutions, the main challenge we focus on is enabling 48 hours of highly engaged collaboration — and discovering what we can create when that happens.”
NASA astronaut Douglas Wheelock and Italian astronaut Paolo Nespoli will also host a Google+ Hangout during the hackathon today at 17:30 p.m.
Members of the public can participate in the live Hangout, or pose questions to the spaceflyers using the hashtag #spaceapps.
Ben Lombardo, first year Astrophysics student, told Vision: “The University is a great choice for this event because the computer science department is pushing for events like this all the time. That was clear from the recent NEMOG launch; it was just a shame that the physics department didn’t show much interest.
“I hope that hosting the International Space Apps Challenge again brings the two departments closer together”
Projects will be judged at the global level by a NASA panel in 5 categories: Best Use of Hardware, Best Use of Data, Most Inspiring, Galactic Impact, Best Mission Concept.
A sixth award will be publicly determined in the People’s Choice category.
Last year saw two York projects nominated for Global Judging.
The event begins at 9.30am today, with free entry for those who register. More details can be found here.
You can follow the challenge via Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #spaceapps