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  3. Register for the Athlone local event

HackAthlone 2026

13 to 15 Nov 2026
TUS Athlone

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Free. You’ll register on spaceappschallenge.org and choose Athlone as your local event.

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Judges

Judge at
HackAthlone

On Sunday 15 November, teams present what they built in 48 hours at TUS Athlone. Judges score their projects and choose HackAthlone’s winners: the first round of NASA Space Apps judging.

Sign up to judge (opens in a new tab)How judging works

The form takes about 5 minutes. Google asks you to sign in first.

The judges’ desk, with scoring sheets and laptops, at the front of a full lecture theatre during the HackAthlone 2025 final presentations

How judging works

Sunday is
judging day

Local judges are the first round of NASA Space Apps judging. After the weekend, experts from NASA, its partner agencies and industry judge the global round.

Tell us on the form whether you’re free all day on Sunday 15 November, in the morning or in the afternoon.

  1. We match you to challenges

    Tell us your areas of expertise on the form, and we match judges to the challenges they know best.

  2. We brief you before the event

    We send you the schedule and the judging criteria.

  3. Teams pitch on Sunday

    In 2025, each team had 3 minutes to present, with a hard stop, then 2 minutes for the judges’ questions.

  4. You score, then confer

    You score each team against the criteria, then the judges tally the scores and agree the results together.

  5. The results

    The winners, and the projects going forward to NASA’s global judging, are announced at the closing ceremony.

Your expertise

What you
know best

Tick your areas on the form. It helps us match judges to challenges.

  • Data science and AI
  • Web and app development
  • Game development
  • XR (AR and VR)
  • Hardware and electronics
  • Remote sensing and Earth observation
  • Space science and astronomy
  • Natural sciences
  • Maths
  • Business and pitching
  • Design and storytelling
  • Something else

Fair judging

What every judge
agrees to

Teams put a weekend into their projects. Every judge confirms these four points on the form.

  1. Score fairly

    Score every team fairly against the judging criteria.

  2. Declare connections

    Before judging starts, tell the organisers about any personal or professional connection to a team, such as a colleague, student, friend or relative, and don’t score that team.

  3. Keep it confidential

    Keep the judges’ discussions and scores confidential, and don’t use or share teams’ ideas or work without their permission.

  4. Respect everyone

    Follow the NASA Space Apps Code of Conduct (opens in a new tab) and treat everyone at the event with respect.

Last year

Judges
in 2025

From TUS, industry, education and the space sector. In 2023, our judges were Sean Lyons, Jane Burns, Dr Niall Murray and Anish KK.

judges in 2025up from 4 in 2023
7
teams in 2025up from 22 in 2023
50
projects submitted to NASAin 2025
33
global nominationsin 2025, our best year yet
4

Judge numbers: our Instagram (2023) and website (2025). Teams, projects and nominations: official NASA Space Apps records.

  • Jane Burns

    Director of Education and Public Engagement, TUS

  • Rebecca Carragher

    Communications Lead, Space Generation Advisory Council

  • Clare Conneally

    Founder, Informed Learning

  • Shane Gilligan

    Senior mechanical design lead

  • Dr Gillian Lake

    Chief Education Officer, Child Paths

  • James Lardner

    Fellow software engineer

  • Michela Ottaviani

    Assistant Lecturer, Applied Sciences, TUS

In their words

The standard of the projects were phenomenal. We take absolutely nothing back from the weekend except the fact that in 48 hours a couple of people with a few bites of pizza and caffeine can do amazing stuff! Genuinely I have been so impressed!

Sean LyonsTUS, judge and mentor

In my years with TUS, I have been so inspired & impressed by the enthusiasm and the intelligence of young people. So when I look around and I see projects like these, I know the future’s in really good hands, and you guys were amazing, so well done!

Jane BurnsTUS, judge and mentor

As a judge at NASA SpaceApp’s Challenge Athlone 2023, I was impressed by the excellent problem statements & the participants’ exceptional performance & unwavering energy in 48 hours.

Anish KKAMD, judge in 2023
Team Debugonauts celebrating on stage at the HackAthlone 2025 awards as two presenters applaud
Two participants pitching an idea on stage in front of a Pitch Fest slide

What you get

What’s in it
for you

  • Your profile on our website

    With your OK, we introduce you on this page and on our Instagram and LinkedIn before the event.

  • The weekend’s work, first-hand

    See what teams build with NASA’s open data in 48 hours.

  • A T-shirt and food on the day

    Tell us your size and any dietary needs on the form.

  • Industry and academia in one room

    Meet the teams, the mentors, our partners and your fellow judges.

Get involved

Other ways
to help