About the Challenge
The Stellar Gateway Hackathon 🚀🌌

Welcome to The Stellar Gateway — a selective hackathon designed to ignite your imagination and launch your ideas into the cosmos. Hosted by Stellar Gateway, a student-led nonprofit organization, this challenge invites you to build anything inspired by space: from tools that track celestial events, to games set among the stars, to educational platforms that make the universe more accessible.

Whether you're into astronomy, physics, design, machine learning, or just love the mystery of space, this is your time to shine. There are no limits — just make sure your project is space-themed, impactful, and innovative.

What You Can Build:
🛰 Astronomy event trackers or ISS pass predictors
🌠 Space exploration games or simulations
🪐 Educational platforms for learning about the solar system
👩‍🚀 Tools that bring space closer to underserved communities
🛸 Anything else inspired by the cosmos!

You’ll have the opportunity to work in teams, learn from peers and mentors, and create a project you’ll be proud to show off — even on your college applications.

So dream big, build boldly, and shoot for the stars. 🌟
Let the countdown begin.

Requirements

What to Build

At The Stellar Gateway, you can build any project inspired by space. Your project can be technical, creative, educational, or a combination — as long as it fits the space theme and demonstrates innovation, effort, and impact.

Here are some example ideas:

  • Astronomy tools that track meteor showers, eclipses, or ISS passes

  • Educational platforms that teach users about the solar system or simulate space missions

  • Space-themed games or interactive experiences

  • AI projects that analyze space data or predict astronomical events

  • Community-focused tools that connect people to local stargazing events or clubs

  • Any original idea that draws inspiration from space

You can work individually or as part of a team. There are no restrictions on the type of technology you use — just make it creative and meaningful.

What to Submit

By the submission deadline, each team must provide the following:

  1. Project Title and Description
    A clear name and a short summary explaining what your project does, why you built it, and who it's for.

  2. Demo Video (1–3 minutes)
    A brief screen recording or walkthrough showing your project in action. It doesn't need to be highly produced — just explain the core features.

  3. GitHub Repository or Code Files
    A link to your code (GitHub preferred). If you're not using GitHub, you may upload your files directly.

  4. Optional: Live Demo Link
    If your project is deployed or has a working prototype, include the URL.

  5. Team Information
    Names of all team members and a short explanation of what each person contributed.

🌠 Ongoing Hackathon? Even Better.

We're offering internship opportunities to standout participants who show initiative, creativity, and passion for our mission — even during the hackathon.

If you're interested in working with the Stellar Gateway team beyond the event, fill out the interest form below:

👉 Apply for the Internship

Build something great now, and you might just keep building with us after.

Visit our website

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

8 non-cash prizes
1st Place
1 winner

Award Certificate and Internship Offer

2nd Place
1 winner

Award Certificate and internship Offer

3rd Place
1 winner

Award Certificate and Internship Offer

One year .xyz domain
400 winners

A free custom .xyz domain ($20 value) given to all participants. You may use this domain to develop your project.

Interview Cake 7 day Access
3 winners

Interview Cake 7 Day Codes Awarded to Winners ($50 value)

JetBrains Student License
500 winners

Free for all participants (Value of $289 per license)

Balsamiq Cloud 60-Day extended free trial
500 winners

Provided to all participants

Art of Problem Solving Coupon
4 winners

$25 AOPS coupons given out to each winning team

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

Daniel Wang
CTO

Sairam Jalakam Devarajulu
Senior Frontend Engineer At Auradine

Shilpa Shastri
Principal Product Manager at Apptio

Satwik Reddy Jambula

Satwik Reddy Jambula
Senior Application Developer at Uber

Praneetha Kotla

Praneetha Kotla
Lead RPA Developer at Johnson & Johnson

Judging Criteria

  • Creativity & Originality
    Is the idea fresh and inventive?
  • Technical Execution
    How well is the project built?
  • Use of Space Theme
    How effectively does it connect to space?
  • Impact & Usefulness
    Does it solve a real problem or inspire learning?
  • Presentation
    Was the project clearly explained and easy to understand?

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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Hackathon sponsors

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