NASA has announced this year’s International Space Apps Challenge, the second annual event aimed at solving practical problems in space and on Earth. The challenge will run in 75 cities around the world, and NASA has curated over 50 challenges for participants to tackle. There will also be a “make your own challenge” option for those who already have a great idea that doesn’t fit into the NASA-curated parameters.
During last year’s challenge, more than 2,000 participants created 101 projects aimed at solving a plethora of unique problems. The second International Space Apps Challenge, will run from April 21st -23rd 2013.
The Space Apps Challenge is about more than just cool NASA tech. It is also concerned with a fundamental transformation of how we interact with technology at a cultural and social level. It aims to both cultivate and contribute to the growth of open government, open data and civic hacking. The community of developers and technologists that are using their skills for social benefit – and have fun doing it – is an awe-inspiring and awe-some community with which to engage. In particular, Philadelphia has a very robust community of civic-minded software hackers, makers and social entrepreneurs. As folks like Tim O’Reilly have pointed out, open government and civic hacking represent an alternative approach to the tax, vote, and complain pattern of engaging as a citizen in a democratic society. Global collaboration efforts like Space Apps build communities, create friendships, exercise social capital, and show us that with some imagination and effort we can solve problems in our society (and beyond our planet) together. As I read over what happened in the 2012 International Space Apps Challenge, I see that NASA “gets it” with respect to this community. That’s exciting to see from a US government agency.
