Student coders tackle NASA challenge

On March 28, 2025, 80 college students gathered at the Nancy Richardson Design Center at Colorado State University (CSU) to tackle a high-stakes challenge: create an intelligent system capable of navigating rugged terrain to assist in emergency situations. With just 24 hours to complete the task, participants were immersed in an intense, hands-on learning experience.

Photo credit: NASA

The Spring 2025 CSU Hackathon was co-led by CSU, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, and NASA. This collaboration bridged the gap between federal agencies in search of innovative artificial intelligence solutions and students eager to apply their skills in real-world scenarios.

Student coders tackle NASA challenge

According to Mika Dalton, CSU’s Career Center employer relations coordinator, the event was designed to foster meaningful connections between students and professionals. “One of the goals of the Career Center is to create opportunities for relationship building,” Dalton noted, emphasizing how the hackathon helped students explore potential career paths beyond graduation.

Teams of four selected from two real-world technical challenges. The USDA Forest Service issued the “Uncharted Challenge,” which involved developing an autonomous mapping system for uncharted roads in the National Forest System using high-resolution satellite imagery. NASA’s “Rover Challenge” tasked teams with designing an algorithm to autonomously guide a rover over difficult terrain to assist an injured firefighter.

Throughout the 24-hour period, students processed lidar and satellite data, created algorithms, and tested their models using Amazon Web Services’ SageMaker development environment. Their efforts not only generated prototype solutions, but also contributed feedback on the potential for SageMaker’s broader use within NASA.

The hackathon yielded practical value for both the Forest Service and NASA. Students’ novel solutions addressed operational needs in wildfire response, terrain mapping, and search-and-rescue operations. Martin Garcia, NASA’s lead for artificial intelligence and innovation, praised the students’ accomplishments, noting how they demonstrated AI’s capacity to solve complex challenges, from lunar navigation to Earth-based emergencies.

"The students did an incredible job showing how AI can solve tough problems, from navigating the Moon to handling emergencies, all in line with NASA’s mission," said Martin Garcia, NASA’s artificial intelligence and innovation lead.

For the Forest Service, enhanced trail mapping supports more effective deployment of fire crews and forest managers. For NASA, the development of energy-efficient terrain navigation systems plays a critical role in future robotic missions. NASA data scientist Andrew Wilder highlighted that the students' attention to energy-efficient lunar vehicle movement directly supports the agency’s aim to conduct long-term scientific and engineering missions on the Moon.

Top-performing teams were recognized for Best Overall Project, Ingenuity, Simplicity, and Tenacity. Rewards included letters of recommendation from federal leaders and opportunities to present their work to NASA and USDA Forest Service personnel.

Participants found the experience valuable beyond the technical outcomes. One CSU student reflected on the benefits of teamwork, professional networking, and real-time problem-solving, stating, “I had a great team, and we were able to work through several setbacks with clear communication. I also got to meet professionals from NASA, USDA, Forest Service, and AWS. These were great opportunities and so I learned a lot of networking and interviewing from them.”

Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive. According to post-event surveys, 98% of student respondents expressed strong enthusiasm for promoting the hackathon to their peers. Many participants highlighted the event’s educational value, networking opportunities, and the chance to apply classroom knowledge in a high-pressure environment. They also acknowledged the event’s intensity and the depth of the challenge it posed.

The hackathon served as a compelling demonstration of what can be achieved when government agencies, academia, and student innovators collaborate. For NASA’s Chief AI Officer, the event validated a powerful, cost-effective model for accelerating AI adoption through partnerships and hands-on engagement. It also offered the agency testable prototypes, insights into rapid development, and stronger ties with industry, academic, and federal stakeholders.

By uniting mission teams, strategic partners, and young innovators—and energizing them with food and friendly competition, NASA and its collaborators successfully pushed the boundaries of creativity and innovation.