On August 23, ISRO will host the Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon in observance of the first-ever National Space Day. This event commemorates Vikram Lander’s successful landing close to the southern polar zone of the moon. In the wake of the Vikram landing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced August 23 to be National Space Day.
The hackathon, announced on July 4 by ISRO Chairman S Somanath, features 12 problem statements in the geospatial domain, space science, image processing, and AI/ML.
It encourages groups of three to four students to submit creative solutions and is available to undergraduate, graduate, and PhD students nationwide. A jury of experts will first choose 100 teams based only on their ideation, and 30 of those teams will move on to the 30-hour Grand Finale on August 13 and 14 at NRSC, Hyderabad.
Somanath stressed the hackathon’s contribution to the development of application-driven ecosystems and the advancement of space-based technology innovation for the good of society and the country. He emphasised the possibility that concepts developed during the hackathon could develop into workable business plans.
As part of the celebrations for the first National Space Day, the event will also include public engagements and outreach initiatives across India.
