14–15 November 2026 · Lucerne, Switzerland
NASA Space Apps Challenge Lucerne 2026
NASA Space Apps Challenge returns to Lucerne for its second consecutive local edition, bringing together engineers, scientists, students, developers, designers and innovators to tackle challenges inspired by Earth and space science using open data from NASA and its Space Agency Partners.
About the local edition
Hosted locally within the Lucerne innovation community, the event encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, creative problem-solving and the development of ideas that connect scientific knowledge with real-world challenges.
The format
The NASA Space Apps Challenge is an international hackathon that invites people from different backgrounds to collaborate on challenges developed around scientific and exploration data.
Teams work together over an intensive two-day period to investigate a challenge, develop an idea or prototype and present their work through the official programme.
The 2026 Lucerne event is held at Technopark Luzern and forms part of the global NASA Space Apps Challenge community.
Participation is free, subject to the official event rules and registration process.
Challenge themes
- Earth observation, climate and environmental intelligence.
- Lunar exploration and mission planning.
- Mars exploration and human spaceflight.
- Space data, artificial intelligence and scientific visualisation.
- Astronaut health and scientific experimentation.
These are broad editorial themes, not the official list of 2026 challenges. The official challenges are published on the NASA Space Apps platform.
Who should take part
- Students and early-career professionals.
- Engineers and software developers.
- Scientists and researchers.
- AI and data specialists.
- Designers, storytellers and creative innovators.
- Entrepreneurs, makers and curious individuals.
No previous experience in the space industry is required. Teams must follow the official NASA Space Apps participation and submission rules.
Registration and full event information · Official NASA Space Apps registration
NASA Space Apps Challenge is a NASA-led initiative delivered locally by community teams. NASA does not endorse any non-U.S. Government entity and is not responsible for information contained on non-U.S. Government websites.