NASA, in collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture, Amazon Web Services, and Colorado State University, hosted a 24-hour hackathon challenging 80 college students to develop AI-driven solutions for emergency aid and terrain navigation.

Students worked in teams on real-world problems like autonomous mapping of forest roads and rover navigation to assist injured firefighters, utilizing AWS SageMaker for their developments.

The event provided valuable insights and testable AI solutions to NASA and USDA, while also offering students networking opportunities, skill-building, and recognition for innovative projects.

This hackathon model highlights the potential of partnerships in advancing AI adoption and addressing operational challenges in space and environmental fields.