NASA mission priorities were explored by five winners of the 2014 International Space Apps Challenge, a worldwide "hackathon" to spark innovation with direct application to future space missions and improve life on Earth.

NASA judges have selected five challenge winners, and the global social media community selected a Peoples Choice fan favorite. The competition took place at 95 locations around the world April 11-12. More than 8,000 participants developed software, hardware, data visualizations, and mobile or Web applications for the challenge.

This year, nearly 40 challenges represented NASA priorities in five themes: Earth Watch, Technology in Space, Human Spaceflight, Robotics and Asteroids.

The challenge categories and winners are:

Alert-Alert challenge: SkyWatch, selected as the Best Use of Data, was created at Space Apps Toronto. The SkyWatch app is a visual representation of data collected from observatories around the world in near real time. The app provides telescope coordinates of celestial events, and plots the location through Google Sky. Users can subscribe or filter sky alerts, and share them through social media.

NASA continues to build on our nation's record of breathtaking and compelling scientific discoveries and achievements in space, with science missions that will reach far into our solar system, reveal unknown aspects of our universe and provide critical knowledge about our home planet.

PhoneSat challenge: Android Base Station, selected as the Best Use of Hardware, was created at Space Apps London to transform a smart phone into wifi hotspot by connecting to satellites using a 3-D printed receiver. This automated, ultra-portable, satellite tracking station can log changes in micro-satellites in orbit.

NASA's deep space exploration program is driving the development of new technologies. PhoneSats are another way NASA is innovating new technologies to support the missions of tomorrow.

Space Wearables challenge: Aurora Wearables, selected as the Best Mission Concept, was created at Space Apps Exeter as a collaboration between artists, fashion designers, technologists, and software developers. This internet-connected spacesuit is designed for astronauts to wear on the International Space Station and beyond.

See the rest here:

NASA Announces Winners Of The 2014 International Space Apps Challenge