Designing the Cosmos: My Time Hosting Day 2 of the NASA Space Apps Challenge

September 13, 2026

Hosting Day 2 of the NASA Space Apps Challenge was an exhilarating journey into the human-centric side of space exploration. As we pivoted our focus toward UI/UX and Design Thinking, the energy in our virtual room shifted from raw data analysis to empathetic problem-solving. It was deeply inspiring to watch participants realize that the most groundbreaking cosmic technologies are useless if people cannot intuitively interact with them. Throughout the webinar, our brilliant speaker illuminated how thoughtful design bridges the massive gap between complex satellite data and everyday users. We explored how empathy—the core of design thinking—is just as crucial for tackling climate change or orbital debris as any line of code.

I am incredibly proud of how our community collaborated today, proving that virtual barriers cannot stifle collective creativity. And I am confident that today's emphasis on user experience will elevate these projects from mere concepts to truly impactful tools. The stars may be our destination, but today proved that our journey there must be designed with humanity at its very heart.