Space Nation, alongside organizations such as the UN, NASA WorldWind and ESA, supported the World Challenge Finland 2018 on 30th of August 2018 in Espoo, Finland. The challenge aims to develop services supporting sustainable development using satellite data with a main mission to create a web app that improves life here on Earth.

At the event Space Nation handed out their own Space Nation Award for the most promising initiative. The award is worth tens of thousands of euros and offers the winner the opportunity to send their own device into orbit on the ISS.

Space Nation’s panel of experts selected the three best candidates for the prize;

Winner: Hack A Satellite.

“This takes advantage of existing technology – a cubesat already operating in orbit – and a relatively simple approach remote coding the device on the ISS from the ground and receiving radiation data from the module in the Faraday. The technology is proven, and would only require sufficient power and bandwidth for data download. It has the potential to reach a great many participants.”

First runner-up: Entocube.

“A very intriguing idea – and timely – regarding food production for long duration spaceflight. Obviously, the idea of passive long term exposure of the insect eggs is quite achievable. The only question we have is the efficacy of the freezer unit, how this might function within the Faraday, and the ability to leave it in orbit long enough to gather the long term data needed.”

Second runner-up: Miniaturized 3D Printer.

“There are already 3D printers on ISS that have been operating for a number of years, so this idea, while is has merit, would likely be harder to implement through NASA and CASIS politics. Also, if the unit required service or tending on orbit, this would not be feasible give that the Faraday is stand alone and cannot be opened or accessed prior to returning to Earth.”

The Hack A Satellite team were excited to win the opportunity to install their device on the ISS:

“Aboard the ISS, the KitSat-RADMON combination can be contacted and used for education. The students can read the data from the RADMON and the satellite’s own sensors in real time, and send commands to the satellite for further actions until the next contact. It’s not only fun, but extremely educational and contagious: we need more people infected by the space virus!

As a bonus, the satellite can send us measurements that are really useful for the scientists trying to better understand space weather and radiation inside the ISS.”

Space Nation exists to enable broader access to space. We’re thrilled to put Space Nation Labs into action, and will launch KitSat Radmon in 2019. Our payload rack space on the ISS offers real scientific value to companies looking to expand their product horizons, and is a truly out-of-this-world marketing opportunity.