Astrophysics / Planets & Moons
Abandoned but not Forgotten: Storytelling about NASA's Discarded Equipment on the Moon and Mars
Tell young explorers the stories of hardware NASA has left on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
IntermediateBeginner/Youth
2026 / THE NEXT FRONTIER
Pick a challenge. Build it in Kandy.
14 real NASA challenges. Your team, your perspective, and a weekend to turn open data into something meaningful.
The 2026 challenge summaries are live. Explore these briefs with your Kandy team, then follow each title for the official statement, datasets, and submission requirements as NASA releases them.
Earth Science / Software
Be An Earth System Trend Detective!
Visualize NASA observations over time to reveal where Earth is changing and whether those trends are significant.
Advanced
Games / Planets & Moons
Build a Junior Astronaut Mission Trainer
Create a game that lets students balance the power, food, shielding, and life support of a lunar or Martian outpost.
IntermediateBeginner/Youth
Human Exploration / Moon
CLPS Lunar Mission Browser
Help compare lunar landing sites and dates by visualizing sunlight and communication windows near the south pole.
AdvancedIntermediate
Human Exploration / Software
Create Health Monitoring Software for Astronauts on Space Missions
Build software that helps astronauts track health indicators and respond to changes during long space missions.
Intermediate
Earth Science
Dancing with the SARs
Use NASA–ISRO NISAR radar observations to visualize changes across Earth’s surface, from glaciers to forests.
AdvancedIntermediate
Arts & Multimedia / Earth Science
Field Shift: Adapting Farms with NASA Data
Combine NASA Earth observations with soil and crop information to help farmers explore resilient crop rotations.
AdvancedIntermediate
Space Exploration
Flame in Freefall: AI-Powered Fire Safety Insights from Microgravity Combustion Data
Turn NASA’s microgravity combustion research into an AI-powered dashboard for spaceflight fire safety insights.
AdvancedIntermediate
Earth Science / Software
Harmonization of MODIS and VIIRS Hot Spots
Combine MODIS and VIIRS fire records into a consistent calendar for examining burning activity and unusual conditions.
AdvancedIntermediate
Earth Science / Planets & Moons
Identify Earth Locations that Analog the Permanent Moon Base Locations and Mars
Find and characterize places on Earth that can help test future missions to lunar and Martian environments.
AdvancedIntermediateBeginner/Youth
Human Exploration / Mars
Interplanetary Survival Guide: Martian Map
Bring multiple NASA datasets into a layered Martian map to help astronauts plan routes and explore safely.
Intermediate
Astrophysics / Planets & Moons
Planet X and SPHEREx
Create a public tool to compare SPHEREx sky images over time and reveal objects that move or change.
Advanced
Games
Space Mission Design Game
Design a game where students plan a complete space mission while balancing engineering choices and limited resources.
IntermediateBeginner/Youth
Arts & Multimedia / Earth Science
The Earth Information Jukebox
Pair Earth Information Center visualizations with live sonification to make Earth science an experience of sight and sound.
IntermediateBeginner/Youth
Challenge titles and photographs: NASA Space Apps. Descriptions are brief summaries; the official statements govern participation. Verified 10 October 2026.
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