​Each year the NASA Space Apps Challenge mobilizes 100k+ builders on open planetary and Earth-observation datasets. In October, 200 NYC participants prototyped real services—from satellite-driven alerts to interactive visualizations. This panel brings organizers and practitioners together to unpack what it takes to turn raw space data into reliable, human-scale applications: sourcing and cleaning datasets, picking the right runtimes and storage, designing for users, and measuring what works. You’ll leave with repo starters, instrumentation tips, and a path to ship your own open-data app in January.

​Light refreshments provided by Datadog.

​Doors open at 6pm - Refreshments

​Panel starts at 7pm

​Panelists:

​Micah Acinapura
Software Engineer, OpenSpace – American Museum of Natural History

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Micah Acinapura is a lead developer on OpenSpace, the AMNH’s open-source platform that powers immersive astronomy and Earth visualizations. From bridging multidimensional NASA datasets to co-creating planetarium narratives, Micah blends scientific rigor with playful, real-time exploration tools used in live shows and public exhibits. He sheds light on the creative engineering behind translating cosmic data into human-scale experiences. Expect him to speak to the intersection of large-scale data, real-time rendering, and mission-driven design for public science platforms.

​Nate Cooper
Founder & Managing Partner, SWARM

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Nate helps organizations design smarter workflows and digital systems that align people, process, and technology. At SWARM, he guides teams to integrate AI and automation through user-centered design—so innovation actually improves how teams work together.

​Jaiden Price
Digital Strategy Analyst

​Jaiden partners with Fortune 500 C-Suite at Adobe's Digital Strategy Group to drive personalized, data-driven digital transformation. She co-creates with Adobe's product team to run a beta program for Adobe's most visionary customers and partners. Outside of work, she enjoys public speaking and has spoken at Grace Hopper Conference, Harvard WECode, Columbia University, NYU x NASA Space Apps!

​Alex Burg
Senior Engineer, Bryce Space and Technology

​Alex Burg has physics degrees from both MIT and Johns Hopkins University and has devoted his career to space exploration.
He has worked extensively with NASA senior leadership both directly and indirectly for NASA and played a leading role designing the entire future human spaceflight architecture for Low Earth Orbit (LEO), cislunar space, the lunar surface, and Mars.
Alex developed the human space exploration requirements NASA is using for post-International Space Station (ISS) commercial LEO development and played a critical role in the design of the Gateway, NASA's upcoming space station that will orbit the Moon.
Furthermore, Alex performed key engineering analyses identifying what needs to be done to enable future Mars missions for the Artemis and Moon-to-Mars programs.
He is the world expert in understanding NASA's technology portfolio investments to close capability gaps for human exploration missions to the Moon and Mars.

​Thanks to our community supporters Datadog & SWARM

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