Local Judging

Recognition and prizes for top local solutions will be awarded on the final day of the International Space Apps Challenge at the discretion of the local leads. Recommended judging criteria (considering impact, creativity, complexity, collaboration, product, sustainability and presentation) will be used at the local and global levels. The top two solutions from each location will be nominated by the local leads for global recognition.

Global Judging

The top two solutions from each location will be nominated by the local leads for global recognition. These solutions will automatically appear on the spaceappschallenge.org at the conclusion of the event.  The teams nominated for global recognition will have until May 1, 2013 to submit a two minute video describing their challenge to the website. If you developed software, you must submit a link to your code to be included in global judging or you will be disqualified.

The International Space Apps Challenge judging panel will review the top 20 solutions (five in each category) and select an overall winner in each category from May 13-17th.  Each panel member will be given one vote per category and the most votes per category will win. The fifth award for People's Choice will be managed by the NASA Open Innovation Program team and will be awarded to the project with the highest number of public votes.

The winners will be announced on the spaceappschallenge.org and open.NASA blog on May 22.

Best in Class

A panel of judges consisting of representatives from NASA and other governmental and non-governmental organizations will evaluate the top solutions nominated by the local leads and select the best in class in the following categories:

  • Best Use of Data: The solution that best makes space data accessible or leverages it to a unique purpose / application.
  • Best Use of Hardware: The solution that exemplifies the most innovative use of hardware.
  • Best Mission Concept: The solution that developed the most promising mission concept.
  • Galactic Impact: The solution that has the most potential to significantly improve life on Earth or in the universe.
  • Most Inspiring: The solution that captured our hearts and attention.

  • In addition to the top four best in class awards, there will also be an award for the solution that has the most public votes . The People's Choice award will be determined from a public voting process facilitated through the spaceappschallenge.org website.

  • People’s Choice: Determined from a public voting process facilited through the spaceappschallenge.org website.
Awards

Local event or challenge awards may be independently offered by organizations who wish to incentivize work on their challenges or in their location. Examples of what might be offered at local events or by challenge owners:

  • Local awards offered at various locations at the discretion of the local organizer. For example, the National Aerospace Training and Research (NASTAR) Center will offer flight suits to the top solutions at the Philadelphia location.
  • ESA will offer an open source RepRap printer, custom trophies and diplomas for the top solutions to the 3D Printing Challenge.
  • NASA Kennedy Space Center will offer 5-7 launch passes for the top solutions to the KSC sponsored challenges (Kennedy Space Center 2040, Bootstrapping of the Space Industry and Deployable Greenhouse)

The following awards will be offered at the global level:

  • NASA Mars Exploration Program will offer launch invitations to the upcoming MAVEN launch in 18 November 2013 for the best in class award winners (5 tickets per project, travel expenses are not included).
  • National Aerospace Training and Research (NASTAR) Center will offer Spaceflight Training packages to the best in class award winners.

Terms and conditions will apply; additional details will be communicated after winners have been identified.  NASA reserves the right to cancel launch invitations at any time at its own discretion.