Continued Growth and Ingenuity at the Fifth Edition of NASA Space Apps Hackathon in Naples
October 19-20, 2019
Promoted by NASA and co-organized by PA Naples, this intense worldwide weekend-hackathon involved nearly 200 participants and 18 teams. Public Affairs Officer Karen Schinnerer, together with key partner representatives, presented the cash awards to the first-place ten-member team “Seaherd,” which developed a project “Jellybot” to eliminate microplastic in the oceans; second place “Apollo 11” team for their “Greenification” app to combat climate change through plants; and third place “Space Jam” who creatively developed a project that included future tourist routes to Neptune, a theme developed also by “Chronos” group, the winner of local partner Center for Near Space’s special prize.
Two days before the hackathon, to celebrate the fifth edition of Space Apps Naples and to kick-off the event, Public Affairs Naples organized a full-day program with NASA/ Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) engineer Nagin Cox. She spoke to approximately 150 students at Federico II University emphasizing how space research and collaboration has no boundaries and involves numerous Italian and other international partners. Cox encouraged the students to network effectively to prepare themselves for future job opportunities related to the broad field of space exploration. After the speaker program, Nagin Cox participated in a toast celebrating five years of Space Apps in Naples with Consul General Mary Avery, co-organizers of the hackathon, Space Apps participants and alumni.
