Launch Party & Public Showcase

JULY 19 | Sunday Evening, 7:00 PM | Point Park University

Meet and talk with a NASA Astronaut during this special closing event celebrating the weekend’s achievements. (Astronaut to be announced.)

Explore the Student Space Hackathon poster session, where teams present their innovative ideas to help solve challenges related to NASA’s Moon to Mars mission.

Join a NASA panel discussion on the current state of space exploration and the real challenges scientists and engineers are working to overcome.

Engage with the event’s expert mentors and speakers who helped guide students throughout the weekend.

Celebrate the students’ work during the Space Hackathon Awards Ceremony, recognizing creativity, teamwork, and bold new ideas for the future of space exploration. 

Expert Mentors & Speakers Include:

  • Dr. Jim Green is a physicist and former Chief Scientist at NASA, where he served as the agency’s principal advisor on science programs and strategy. Over a 42-year career at NASA, he held numerous leadership roles, including Director of the Planetary Science Division, overseeing major missions such as New Horizons to Pluto, Juno to Jupiter, and the Curiosity rover landing on Mars. Dr. Green earned his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Iowa and has authored more than 125 scientific papers. He retired from NASA in 2022 and continues to advocate for planetary science, exploration, and public engagement in space.

  • Dr. Ray Wheeler is a retired Senior Scientist and plant physiologist at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. During his 36-year career with NASA, he led pioneering research on growing plants in space and developing biological life-support systems for long-duration missions. His work focused on controlled environments that produce food and oxygen, recycle water, and remove carbon dioxide—technologies critical for future missions to the Moon and Mars. Dr. Wheeler has authored hundreds of scientific publications and received multiple honors, including NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal.

  • Jim Adams is an aerospace engineer and former Deputy Chief Technologist at NASA, where he helped oversee the agency’s space technology programs and investments. During his career, he also served as Deputy Director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division, managing the budget, schedule, and performance of major planetary exploration missions. Adams has more than 30 years of experience in aerospace engineering and program management and has contributed to the development and operation of over two dozen spacecraft missions.

  • Soyeon Yi is a South Korean astronaut and the first Korean citizen to travel to space. In April 2008 she launched aboard Soyuz TMA-12 to the International Space Station, where she conducted scientific experiments during a nine-day mission. Yi holds degrees in mechanical engineering from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and was selected from more than 36,000 applicants for Korea’s astronaut program. After leaving Korea’s space program in 2014, she has remained active in science outreach and international space initiatives.