How to Apply for NASA Space Apps Challenge 2026 — Free 48-Hour Hackathon in India

Space Apps does not use a written application or an interview round. Teams register, build during the weekend, and are assessed on the project they submit.

• Registration: sign up free as an individual or as a pre-formed team, either online or through a local host site. Registration closes when the weekend begins.
• Build weekend: challenge statements are published at the start, teams come together, and roughly 48 hours go into ideating and prototyping.
• Submission: every team submits its project before the deadline closes.
• Judging: entries are reviewed first at the local level, then regionally, and finally by global judges.
• What judges weigh: innovation, potential impact, how NASA's open data was used, and the quality of the presentation.
• Outcomes: selected projects are named Global Nominees, Global Finalists, Honorable Mentions or Global Winners.