NASA has opened registration for the 2026 Space Apps Challenge, a two-day global event scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14 and Sunday, Nov. 15, the agency announced on Oct. 15. Teams will use NASA's free and open data to develop solutions to challenges created by the agency's subject matter experts.

The annual hackathon is open to students, scientists, engineers, designers, storytellers, technologists and space enthusiasts, and participants do not need to be programmers. This year's challenges support three focus areas: returning humans to the Moon, preparing for missions deeper into the solar system, and expanding understanding of the universe. Several challenges relate to lunar surface operations, environmental constraints and long-duration stays, while others address Martian surface concepts, astronaut health monitoring and public access to astrophysics mission data.

Registration is available through the NASA Space Apps Challenge. Participants can join one of more than 500 local events, form a team and select a challenge to address during the November event.