Day 1
Saturday, 14 November 2026
- Welcome & check-in
- Opening and challenge briefing
- Team formation
- Hacking begins
- Checkpoint & meal break
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Days
14 – 15 November 2026 · Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire NASA Space Apps
NASA Space Apps
Challenge Abidjan
48 hours to turn NASA's open data into working solutions alongside thousands of teams around the world, over a single weekend.
Countdown to the opening : Saturday, 14 November 2026 at 09:00
- 114,094 registered participants worldwide
- 18,860 teams formed
- 167 countries and territories represented
Previous edition
What a Space Apps weekend looks like
In 2025, 551 local events took place over the same weekend, across 167 countries. Here is the recap published by NASA.
Ten award categories
The best local projects go to the global judging round, which names ten winners each year.
- Best Use of Science
- Best Use of Data
- Art & Technology
- Best Use of Technology
- Galactic Impact
- Best Mission Concept
- Most Inspirational
- Best Use of Storytelling
- Global Connection
- Local Impact
2026 edition theme
The Next Frontier
Every generation inherits a frontier and decides what to do with it. Ours is made of open data, satellites and unanswered questions. In 2026, that frontier runs through Abidjan.
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Explore
New worlds, new orbits, new data. The frontier begins where the map ends.
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Translate
Open data from NASA and its partner agencies becomes answers to real problems.
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Build
In 48 hours, teams of up to 6 people turn an idea into a prototype.
The programme
A global hackathon, a local team
The NASA Space Apps Challenge is the world's largest space hackathon: a weekend where coders, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers and curious minds of every background team up to tackle real challenges built on open data from NASA and its partner agencies.
Space Apps Abidjan is the Ivorian local edition, run by Alpha Space Robotics. Two days to form a team, pick a challenge, prototype a solution (software, hardware, visual or narrative) and present it to a jury, alongside Abidjan's space and tech community.
No space experience is required: the event brings together curious students and beginners as readily as seasoned engineers, designers and data scientists.
Seventeen space agencies
The programme is not run by NASA alone. Seventeen space agencies contribute to it, including Senegal's space studies agency and Nigeria's NASRDA. West Africa is represented.
GGPEN (Angola) · CONAE (Argentine) · Bahrain Space Agency · AEB (Bresil) · Agence spatiale canadienne · ESA (Europe) · ISRO (Inde) · ASI (Italie) · JAXA (Japon) · KASA (Coree du Sud) · NASRDA (Nigeria) · Agence spatiale du Paraguay · ASES (Senegal) · AEE (Espagne) · TUA (Turquie) · MBRSC (Emirats arabes unis) · UK Space Agency
At a glance
- When
- 14–15 Nov 2026
- Format
- In-person or virtual
- Who
- Open to everyone, 16 and over
- Cost
- Free
- Language
- French / English
Challenges
Challenge categories for every background
NASA publishes the official 2026 challenge catalogue closer to the event. In the meantime, here are the broad challenge families offered in previous editions.
- Earth
Earth observation & data
- Exploration
Space, the Moon & robotic exploration
- Technology
Open-source tools & hardware
- Storytelling
Art, design & science communication
The exact 2026 challenges will be announced on spaceappschallenge.org and relayed here as soon as they are published.
How to join
Six steps, in this order
This is the path NASA defines for every local event. Everything happens on spaceappschallenge.org, and most choices stay changeable until 15 November.
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Create an account
On spaceappschallenge.org. Everything else follows from this.
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Register for the hackathon
Registration stays open until 15 November, the day the event closes.
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Choose Abidjan
From more than 450 local events. You can change your choice until 15 November.
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Form or join a team
From 17 September, up to 6 people. Coming alone is fine: time is set aside at the start to form teams, both on site and online.
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Submit your project
During the weekend of 14–15 November, through the official platform.
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Complete the survey
Before 30 November. It is what makes your participation count.
Schedule
Two days, from briefing to pitch
Indicative schedule: exact times will be confirmed together with the host venue.
Key dates
- Registration opens on the global site
- Challenge summaries and team formation opens
- Official release of the challenge statements
- Space Apps Connect opens
- Project submission, judging and awards guides
- The Abidjan edition opens
- Global nominees and finalists announced
- Global winners announced
The weekend
Day 2
Sunday, 15 November 2026
- Hacking resumes
- Development ends
- Pitch preparation
- Pitches to the jury
- Awards & closing
Partners
They make the Abidjan edition possible
The Abidjan edition is being built right now. The first organisations to come on board will have their logo here, and visibility with every participant.
Get involved
Take part, mentor, or support the event
- Participant Join a team for the weekend
- Mentor Support teams in your field of expertise
- Jury member Assess the projects on Sunday
- Partner / sponsor Back the event (venue, meals, prizes)
- Navigator Support teams worldwide on the official platform (apply before 1 September)
Registration
On the official site
Registration for the Space Apps Challenge takes place on NASA's global website. For any question about the Abidjan edition, write directly to the local committee.
Register on spaceappschallenge.org Email the local committee Frequently asked questions
Before you register
Do I need technical skills to take part?
No. Teams are multidisciplinary: development, design, data, science communication and project management all have a place. Motivated beginners are welcome.
Is the event free?
Yes, taking part in Space Apps Abidjan is free, in line with the rules of the global programme.
Do I need to arrive with a team?
No, you can come on your own: time is set aside at the start to form teams, both on site and online.
Can I take part remotely?
Yes. The Abidjan edition welcomes participants both on site and online. You choose when you register, and the choice stays changeable until 15 November. Nothing stops you registering remotely and then coming in person.
How many people per team?
Up to 6. A smaller team works perfectly well: what matters is the mix of skills, not the headcount.
Where will the exact venue and the 2026 challenges be announced?
This information will be published on this page and on Alpha Space Robotics's channels as soon as it is confirmed.
What language is the event held in?
The event is held in French. NASA's datasets and part of its documentation are in English.