ACT in SPACE 2026 reflecting on the challenges of Space

The first step, in the form of a hackathon, will take place on 30 and 31 January 2026 running non-stop for 24 hours. As with previous editions, the hackathon will be held simultaneously worldwide, both for reasons of fairness and for logistical purposes, with online support provided throughout the event.

The countries that have confirmed their participation to date:

Australia – Bangladesh – Brazil – Cameroon – Canada – Colombia – Comoros – Cyprus – Ecuador -France - Kenya – Gabon – Guatemala – India – Italy - Kazakhstan – Latvia – Morocco – New Zealand – Uzbekistan - Pakistan - Netherlands – Poland – Portugal – Czech Republic - Senegal – Sweden – Taiwan – Tunisia – Turkey – Ukraine

The concept of ActInSpace is simple: teams brainstorm around a specific challenge and develop a draft solution in the form of a business plan, including both technical and commercial aspects.

Challenges aligned with priorities for the Space sector

Several high-level technical challenges have already been proposed by major players in the space sector, as well as companies and institutions that use geospatial data in their operations. To give an idea of the complexity involved, here is an example of one of the challenges participants will face:

Design private space stations, including crewless micro-stations, taking into account technological and safety constraints, as well as the financial costs associated with developing and maintaining such stations.

Clean up space debris... this includes defunct satellites, used rocket stages and fragments from decay, erosion and collisions. These objects, which move at high speeds in orbit, pose significant risks to satellites, space missions and, more generally, to the environment in space. The accumulation of debris increases the likelihood of collisions, which in turn generates even more fragments in a snowball effect. Even small pieces of debris can cause major damage.

Protect industrial space assets from cyber threats by developing advanced data protection mechanisms and systems capable of withstanding sophisticated cyber-attacks. The objective is to create solutions that ensure the confidentiality, integrity and continuous availability of data.

Secure and regulate low Earth orbit (LEO) including managing space traffic to prevent collisions and manage the increasing number of satellites. This includes tracking objects in orbit, sharing data between operators and developing protocols for safe manoeuvres.

Improve satellite mass production capabilities by leveraging advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing (3D printing) to create a highly efficient, scalable and sustainable satellite production process.

Establish autonomous bases on the Moon and Mars, using local resources as much as possible and recycling them. On the Moon, the abundant material present on the surface would be treated and used to build habitats, infrastructure, and radiation shielding. On Mars, the local soil and atmospheric resources would be exploited to build and maintain the base. For energy, solar panels could be deployed on the Moon, while on Mars, energy could be harnessed from the atmosphere.

High-resolution imagery and analytical capabilities of Earth observation satellites are transforming our ability to track, measure and address the challenges that hinder sustainable development globally.

Develop an AI-powered deforestation monitoring and prediction system that uses satellite imagery to track changes in forest cover, predict risk areas and provide actionable information to conservation organisations and local communities. Key technical and operational challenges include: acquiring and processing satellite data; harmonising datasets from multiple sources with varying resolutions and spectral bands; developing and optimising AI models; validating results; and obtaining reliable in situ data.

Once the hackathon is over, the second stage of ActInSpace takes place in Bordeaux on April 1-2, 2026, host city of the French and international semi-finals and finals. This is the place where all winners of local hackathons are invited to pitch their project in front of a jury.

During the last edition, 1,800 participants participated in ActInSpace worldwide, divided into 410 teams.

Like other Global Space Challenges, the main objective of ActInSpace is to stimulate interest in the space sector in a rapidly evolving field and to foster entrepreneurship by guiding teams throughout the process.

Since 2014, ActInSpace has generated several inspiring entrepreneurial success stories, with dozens of companies born from the competition still active today.

It is still possible to become a sponsor of the event.

For more information, please contact: contact@actinspace.org