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ISRO Launches Third Edition of Its Student Innovator Hackathon
Launched on June 10, 2023, the Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon (BAH) 2026 challenges student innovators to harness their skills and creativity to address the research issues faced by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Sponsored by the Hack2Skill innovation platform, the issues range from climate change to mapping the lunar surface. The Hackathon identifies issues that ISRO's research teams are focused on.
With highly publicised Indian space programs such as Chandrayaan-2 and Aditya-L1, and their recent data generation, ISRO recognises the need to harness the ingenuity of the youth for data analysis. For the 2026 Hackathon, ISRO has established 15 work-solution requests based on emerging research and data generated from their missions.
Key Information About BAH 2026
- Organised by: ISRO, powered by Hack2skill
- Third Edition (BAH 2026)
- Launched on: June 10, 2023
- Participation: Indian UG, PG, and PhD students (Cross-University teams allowed)
- Professional students are not eligible
- Team size: 3 to 4 with no inter-institutional limits
- Registration Fee: Free
The issues and tasks outlined for BAH 2026 make this one of the most challenging and technically advanced hackathons in India. Skills such as artificial intelligence and data analysis of space and satellite data would be most useful.
The Diverse Range of BAH 2026 Problems
The challenges of BAH 2026 are intentionally designed to be as broad as possible, and the scope is large. Among their collection of challenge statements, ISRO has included problems of varying types and difficulties, spanning the subdisciplines of climate science, lunar research, and agro-sciences, as well as problems of varying types and difficulties, which include research in the field of astronomy. Every participant must select a problem and create a solution that ranges from the conceptual stage to that of a working prototype.
Among the challenges issued by ISRO to participants is the construction of a fully data driven and AI model of the entire climate of India, the analysis of the radar and imaging data of Chandrayaan-2 to determine the location and characteristics of subsurface ice in the lunar south polar and to facilitate the lunar rover traverse, and the prediction of solar flares based on the combined soft and hard X-ray data of the Aditya-L1.
The following are some of the challenge statements issued by ISRO for the BAH 2026:
- The use of AI and machine learning to optimise urban heat mitigation strategies
- The use of Generative AI for cloud removal and reconstruction of LISS-IV satellite imagery
- The development of a surface air quality index and identification of HCHO hotspots using satellite data
- The use of AI for automated detection of crop type and moisture stress using optical and microwave satellite data
- The detection of exoplanets in noisy astronomical light curves using AI
- The colourisation and enhancement of infrared images for improved object interpretation
- The prediction of energetic particle radiation for ISRO satellites in geostationary orbit
All teams that make it to the grand finale will receive direct mentorship from ISRO scientists and domain experts throughout the competition. Finalists will also have their II AC travel fare reimbursed, and the top performers will be eligible for selection to an internship with ISRO, where they will work with some of India's top scientists and engineers on live projects.
Timeline, Registration, and What Needs to Be Done
The BAH 2026 registration period began on June 10 and ends on July 1, 2026. Participants, who have just under three weeks to complete the challenge, must form teams, select a problem statement and submit their ideas. Prototypes are not required. Teams may attend one of the two problem statement briefing sessions hosted by ISRO on June 15 and June 16.
After the registration period, ISRO will evaluate and score the submissions. Selected teams will be informed on July 20, 2026. An induction session will take place on July 21, 2026. The 30-hour grand finale will take place on August 6 and 7, 2026, at an ISRO venue and will be a part of the events leading up to National Space Day celebrations which will be held on August 23.
The complete BAH 2026 schedule is below:
- June 10, 2026: Registration and submission of ideas open
- June 15, 2026: Problem statement explainer session 1
- June 16, 2026: Problem statement explainer session 2
- July 1, 2026: Registration and submission of ideas close
- July 20, 2026: Final shortlist announcement
- July 21, 2026: Induction session for shortlisted teams
- August 6 to 7, 2026: 30-hour grand finale
Registration is available at hack2skill.com/event/bah2026. For additional information, please contact ISRO and Hack2skill at support+isrobah2026@hack2skill.com or join the official Discord server linked on the registration portal. Teams should be aware that only physically printed registrations and digital registrations via the official platform will be accepted. All other links should be disregarded.
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