Meet the 8th CASSINI Hackathon Winners
The hackathon saw an impressive turnout, highlighting the growing interest in EU space technologies for defence and security applications. We welcomed 601 participants, resulting in 110 submitted projects. The hackathon was supported by 160 expert mentors guiding teams through the competition.
Meet the winners
Participants focused on enhancing security and defence applications with the EU Space Programme. They tackled three challenges:
- Challenge 1: Enhancing Defence & Security with Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) – Optimising resource allocation, predicting security threats, and protecting critical infrastructures using space data.
- Challenge 2: Unmanned Drone Applications for Defence & Security Operations – Developing drone-based solutions for surveillance, disaster response, and security operations, including cybersecurity enhancements.
- Challenge 3: Orbital Security: Navigating the Collision Frontier – Improving space situational awareness through satellite data to mitigate collision risks and enable safe satellite operations.
1st Place: SpaceGuardian, Slovenia – Preventing Satellite Collisions and Enhancing Orbital Security
SpaceGuardian developed an automated system that optimises orbital manoeuvres, extends satellite lifespans, and reduces space debris using predictive modelling and real-time tracking. Watch their pitch here.
2nd Place: SignalVoid, the Netherlands – Enabling GNSS-Free Drone Navigation for Defence and Security
SignalVoid created an AI-powered geolocation system that enables drones to navigate without GNSS by using satellite imagery and low-compute hardware, ensuring reliability in GNSS-denied environments. Check their pitch!
3rd Place: SignalHawk, Ukraine – Detecting and Mitigating GNSS Spoofing Attacks
SignalHawk developed a real-time monitoring system that detects and counters GNSS spoofing attacks using signal anomaly detection and advanced processing techniques to enhance positioning security. Their pitch is available here.
4th Place: NumantIA, Spain – Tactical Intervention and Assistance through Geospatial Intelligence
NumantIA designed an AI-driven system that prioritises intervention nodes in disaster scenarios, leveraging satellite data to support rapid and efficient emergency response planning. Watch their pitch!
Feeling inspired?
All four winning teams will continue to develop their solutions as they enter the CASSINI Mentoring Programme, receiving expert guidance to refine their prototypes and explore real-world applications. Want to find out more about the top 10 finalists’ ideas? Read about the local winning projects on our portfolio page.
The next CASSINI Hackathon is around the corner, taking place 16-18 May. The 9th edition will focus on Space for Healthcare and will take place simultaneously in Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, North Macedonia, and Romania.
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