Reaching for the Stars: TL Students Qualify as NASA Global Nominees

A team of LAU students, including MEPI Tomorrow’s Leaders alumni and participants, made Lebanon proud by qualifying as global nominees in the NASA International Space Apps Challenge. Out of 66 national teams, only five were selected to represent Lebanon on the global stage.

The NASA Space Apps Challenge is a worldwide hackathon that encourages creativity and innovation using NASA’s open-source data. It gives young people a chance to solve real-world problems in areas such as climate change, agriculture, and space research.

The LAU team, called Astro-Boys, is made up of AbdulRahman Zaatari (TL alumnus), Adem Hamizi and Eyad Oumar (current TL students), Mohammed Dayeh and Ayman Kacan (current LAU students), and Karim Kichli (LAU alumnus). The event took place at the American University of Science & Technology (AUST), where participants had 48 hours to create a technology-based solution to one of NASA’s listed challenges.

Their project, called Exoplanet Explorer, is a web application that uses artificial intelligence to identify exoplanets, which are planets that orbit stars outside our solar system. The team designed a machine learning model using data from NASA’s Kepler, K2, and TESS telescopes to predict whether a detected object could be an exoplanet.

The application also features a 3D visualization tool that allows users to explore discovered exoplanets and learn fun facts about space. Judges praised the project’s creativity and potential scientific value, noting that it could even assist NASA researchers in future exoplanet studies.

This exciting experience gave team members the chance to strengthen their skills in AI development, data analysis, and teamwork. They learned how to manage pressure, solve complex problems, and turn ideas into real, working solutions.

Lastly, their success highlights the impact of the MEPI Tomorrow’s Leaders Program, which continues to empower youth in the region to think critically, lead collaboratively, and use innovation for positive change.