The Queen City Robotics Alliance has announced that it will once again serve as the host for the 2025 NASA Space Apps Challenge in Charlotte, taking place on October 4-5. This year’s event will take place at the Sullenberger Aviation Museum.

The NASA International Space Apps Challenge is the world’s largest global hackathon. This two-day event offers participants of all ages the opportunity to utilize NASA’s free and open data sources to address real-world problems on Earth and in space. The 2025 theme is “Learn, Launch, Lead!” During the event, participating teams gather at designated sites worldwide, both in-person and virtually, to address challenges submitted by NASA experts.

Started in 2012 and primarily focused on technology in space, today’s NASA Space Apps Challenge features arts and humanities alongside the technology challenges, thus building a more inclusive program. The challenges will also have varying levels of difficulty, ranging from elementary age to college students, so everyone is welcome. These challenges vary in complexity and subject, asking participants to create everything from artistic visualizations of NASA data to conceptualizing and developing informational apps and software programs. NASA’s goal is to “promote innovation through international collaboration.

This event is free and open to all ages; however, anyone 18 and under must be registered and accompanied by a parent or other adult. To learn more about NASA’s program, use this link: https://www.spaceappschallenge.org/

QCRA’s outgoing President and current CFO, Kaiwen Cheng, is excited that the organization is hosting this event again with our partners at SAM, as it will bring more recognition, interest, and outreach for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs in the Charlotte community. Participants will also have the chance to view the inspirational exhibits while at the museum.

“This is an opportunity for students to use NASA to explore ideas,” said Cheng. “Space technology is a leading technology. It’s using space to inspire and impact our daily lives. Things like GPS and memory foam mattresses. We wouldn’t have those things today without NASA technology,” said Cheng.

To register, visit QCRA’s special event website – https://www.spaceappsclt.org/