The Spring Institute

On March 9th 2024, we have launched our second Space Hackathon on Space Engineering, Biology and Art! Our Space Hackathons bring together individuals from diverse backgrounds in a 12-hour competition to find innovative and unconventional solutions to real-world problems in space exploration.

This time, we widened our reach and hosted two events simultaneously in Kigali, Rwanda and Tunis, Tunisia. Bringing together experts across the globe and collaborating with local institutions, our participants were able to leverage on their skills and creativity under guidance of industry experts to showcase their ideas.

Our Winners

The Living Forest Challenge

1st Place - GeoMes (Tunisia)

1st Place - The Stellars (Rwanda)

The Cosy Home Challenge

1st Place - Pillars of Creation (Tunisia)

2nd Place - The Moon Nest (Rwanda)

Kids Grow on the Moon Challenge

1st Place - Footprints on the Moon (Rwanda)

2nd Place - Space Adventure (Tunisia)

The Challenges

The Living Forest Challenge
We are thrilled to welcome participants to join us in a stroll in the woods towards understanding and forecasting the growth of Earth's forests—a mission that extends even beyond our planet.
Challenge Objective:
The Spring Institute is on a mission to build robust modeling capabilities, and your expertise is instrumental. We aim to create models that forecast forest growth over centuries, enabling us to make design decisions today that we can trust will shape the behavior of forests on the Moon 1000 years from now. This ambitious endeavor requires us to dive deep into Earth's forests, analyzing their dynamics and extracting essential parameters.
Who Should Participate:
This challenge is tailored for individuals with expertise in the following fields:
- Forestry: We invite foresters and experts who understand the intricacies of forest ecosystems, growth patterns, and specie interactions.
- Geospatial Data Processing: Participants skilled in geospatial data analysis and processing are crucial for transforming complex environmental data into actionable insights.
- Modeling Enthusiasts: If you have experience in creating dynamic models, this challenge provides an exciting opportunity to apply your skills to forestry and geospatial data.
Why it matters:
Understanding forest dynamics is not just a terrestrial endeavour. It's a vital step toward designing sustainable ecosystems on the Moon and beyond. Proper modeling will allow us to make informed decisions today, ensuring the right conditions for forests to thrive on the Moon in the distant future.
The Cosy Home Challenge
We invite you to embark on an innovative journey to address one of the fundamental challenges of establishing Moon bases and space stations—managing extreme temperature variations. As we look to the stars, we can draw inspiration from Earth's diverse cultures and their architectural solutions to extreme temperature conditions.
Challenge Objective:
The Cosy Home Challenge focuses on the art and science of creating habitable environments on celestial bodies where temperature disparities between day and night are extreme. On the Moon's equator, daytime temperatures can soar to 120°C, while nighttime plunges to a bone-chilling -130°C. Your mission is to design a Moon base maquette, drawing inspiration from traditional architectural designs used on Earth to mitigate extreme temperatures.
Who Should Participate:
This challenge is tailor-made for individuals with backgrounds in:
- Architecture: Architects bring their design expertise to create aesthetically pleasing and functional lunar habitats.
- Civil Engineering: Civil engineers play a vital role in ensuring the structural integrity and safety of your designs.
Why it matters:
By envisioning and designing Moon bases inspired by Earth's architectural marvels, you contribute to humanity's quest for sustainable life beyond our planet. Your innovative solutions will help future astronauts adapt to the harsh lunar environment while providing comfort and safety.
Kids Grow on the Moon Challenge
We invite you to embark on a creative adventure that transcends time and space. This challenge is all about nurturing young minds with the idea that even on the Moon, forests can grow with imagination and determination.
Challenge Objective:
In a world where it can take centuries for forests to flourish, your mission is to envision a future where kids can watch forests bloom on the Moon. Whether it takes 600, 100, or even just 10 years, your creative storytelling will inspire generations to take on this lunar journey.
Who Should Participate:
This challenge welcomes individuals who possess the magical combination of:
- Drawing: Artists who can weave tales with images.
- Writing: Wordsmiths who can craft enchanting narratives.
The Significance:
Your storytelling will shape the dreams of young explorers, fuelling their imaginations with lush lunar landscapes. Together, we'll cultivate new imaginaries where space exploration is adorned with the greenery of hope.

Our Sponsors & Partners

The success of our hackathon was only possibly with the support of our sponsors and local partners. Each year, we are strengthening existing relationships with local and international institutions while expanding our circle of collaboration. A heartfelt thank you to all of our sponsors and partners of the Space Hackathon 2024 who made this incredible event possible!