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TL;DR
- Jagannath University won the Dhaka division of the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2024 with their innovative satellite-tracking app.
- The winning team, “Quantum Voyager,” consists of students from JnU’s Computer Science and Engineering department.
- The competition took place both in-person at AIUB in Dhaka and online, featuring 500 projects nationwide.
- Participants from various regions in Bangladesh competed, with the top 50 projects presented directly in Dhaka.
Jagannath University (JnU) has emerged as the champion in the Dhaka division of the NASA Space Apps Challenge 2024, a prestigious event organized by NASA. The results for the Bangladesh segment of this global hackathon were announced on Saturday, highlighting the innovative spirit of participants from across the country.
The competition was held both in-person at the American International University Bangladesh (AIUB) in Dhaka and online, allowing for broad participation. The winning team, “Quantum Voyager,” developed an app designed to track satellites. This innovative app notifies users when a satellite passes over their land, facilitating easy download and analysis of satellite data.
Team Quantum Voyager consists of Tajwar Asfi, Nahid Raihan, Jahangir Hossain, Farhan Masud Sohag, and Yusuf Hasan Sifat, all students from the Computer Science and Engineering department at JnU. Reflecting on their victory, team member Tajwar Asfi expressed: “This was our first time participating in the NASA Space Apps Challenge, and it was a completely new experience for us. From the beginning, we were determined to achieve something remarkable. Honestly, we never expected to win the toughest competition in the Dhaka division. We dedicate this victory to the Computer Science and Engineering department of Jagannath University. Our next goal is to become world champions.”
Participants from various regions including Chittagong, Sylhet, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barisal, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Comilla also took part in this segment of the competition. A total of 500 projects were selected nationwide to compete, with the top 50 presented directly in Dhaka and the remaining 450 competing online over two days.
The NASA Space Apps Challenge is an annual event that fosters innovation through international collaboration by providing opportunities for participants to utilize NASA’s free and open data. It brings together coders, scientists, designers, and other innovators from around the globe to address real-world problems on Earth and beyond. This year’s theme was “The Sun Touches Everything,” emphasizing the influence of the Sun on Earth and space science.
The challenge is supported by NASA’s Earth Science Division through collaborations with organizations such as Booz Allen Hamilton, Mindgrub, and SecondMuse. Participants are encouraged to form teams and submit projects that are judged by space agency experts for global awards.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
