2 PH teams selected for NASA’s Space Apps Global Challenge

Two teams from the Philippines will participate in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Apps Global Challenge. The United States Embassy in Manila made the announcement after the two teams, Team iNON and Team Space Force, were selected from among 15 teams that took part in the NASA Space Apps Challenge at the DLSU American Corner from October 19 to 21.

Participating teams went through a one-day “data boot camp” followed by a 48-hour hackathon. They also pitched their solutions to one of six NASA-identified challenge categories on the final day.

Team iNON presented the ISDApp, which gathers scientific data that fishermen can use to aid their livelihoods.

Meanwhile, Team Space Force came up with Project Vita, a mobile application and website that aims to help people in preparing for emergency and disaster situations.

Contributing solutions to challenges on Earth and in space

The NASA Space Apps Challenge joins together talented scientists, coders, designers, makers, builders, storytellers, and technologists to encourage the use of NASA’s open data to create open source solutions that address key challenges on Earth and in space.

The US Embassy in Manila, in partnership with DLSU, hosted the Philippine leg. US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission John Law served as judge in the event. He said he was “so inspired by the innovative solutions” that the teams developed.

“This hackathon enabled me to put my grit to the limits and realize what I’m capable of doing if I put my mind into it,” said Ginez Bluen of Team Space Force.

The Team iNON said, “It was a humbling experience for us to participate here in the NASA Space Apps Challenge. We’ve felt a different kind of fun, tension, and learning at the 48-hour hackathon event. We hope that ISDApp can aid fishermen with information that will truly be useful.”

via Manila Bulletin / Roy Mabasa