“The Next Frontier” is the theme chosen this year by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to launch its global call for participants to the Space Apps Challenge 2026, the world’s largest annual hackathon dedicated to space and science.
In Italy, the enthusiasts of space exploration and of the opportunities offered by the Space Economy will be able to join the event in person in Turin: on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November, the Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico di Torino (I3P) will host the tenth edition of the local event, organised in collaboration with ESA BIC Turin.
The event
The NASA Space Apps Challenge is a collaborative event involving programmers, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, technologists and innovators from around the world. Gathering at hundreds of local venues, participants use open data provided by space agencies to devise innovative solutions to the major challenges – not just scientific ones – that humanity faces today, both on Earth and in space.
The hackathon will take place simultaneously across the globe and is open to everyone, free of charge. Each team will choose one of the available challenges to tackle as a group, developing open-source solutions that may have real-world applications or form the basis for new innovative start-ups: just like those that I3P has been supporting and guiding for over 25 years.
The local edition of Space Apps Turin 2026 will kick off on Saturday 14 November at 2.00 pm at I3P's headquarters with the welcome for participants and the formation of teams. The competition itself will begin at 4.00 pm and will continue for 24 consecutive hours, until 4.00 pm on Sunday 15 November, by which time the projects must be submitted. This will be followed by the final pitches to the jury and the audience, aiming for the Local Awards – sponsored by I3P’s partners and space industry players – and the chance to compete at international level for NASA’s prestigious Global Awards in the next months.
How to join the event
No specific qualifications or prior experience are required: multidisciplinary collaboration is the key to tackling the challenges effectively. The NASA Space Apps Challenge is open to all ages; however, participants under the age of 18 must be registered for the event by a parent or legal guardian, and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian in person for the entire duration of the event.
To register and take part in the event, users must log in with a personal account on the official NASA Space Apps website, select the Turin event and register for it: teams (recommended size: 3 to 5 members) may be formed independently or directly on site at the start of the hackathon. Participation in the local Turin event will be by in-person attendance only.
Organisers
The Turin edition of Space Apps 2026 is organised by I3P, the Innovative Companies Incubator of Politecnico di Torino, which has been supporting the creation and growth of technology start-ups with disruptive potential since 1999, in collaboration with ESA BIC Turin, the incubation program launched in 2021 and managed by I3P to foster the development of businesses based on space technologies. Over the years, the community of ESA BIC Turin has welcomed and supported more than 35 young space start-ups: some of them were actually born out of the experience of taking part in hackathons such as Space Apps!
Globally, the initiative is backed by the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the leading international space agencies. Locally, the Turin hackathon will benefit from the contribution of sponsors, mentors and judges from the aerospace industry, innovative start-ups and SMEs active in this field, as well as organisations and associations committed to promoting the Italian space sector.
Agenda
Saturday 14 November 2026
13:30 – 14:30: Welcome and check-in for event participants
14:30 – 15:00: Formation and confirmation of participant teams
15:00 – 16:00: Introduction to the hackathon, explanation of the rules and key information
16:00: start of the hackathon and commencement of work
20:00: on-site dinner for participants
Evening and night: the hackathon continues
Sunday 15 November 2026
09:00: on-site breakfast for participants
Morning: the hackathon continues
13:00: on-site lunch for participants
15:00 – 16:00: finalisation of the project and digital handover to local staff
16:00 – 17:30: project pitches by each team
17:30 – 18:00: awards ceremony and conclusion of the event
