In an exciting and proud development, the NASA Space App Challenge 2023 held international has concluded with local Malaysian scientist Tony Kien-Pong Yap achieving remarkable success. Tony has not only emerged as one of the top winners in the country but has also been selected to represent Malaysia as a global nominee in the competition and went on to win global finalist title (with honourable mention). Furthermore, his project ranked highly and received an honourable mention from the esteemed judges at NASA.
The highly competitive challenge, organised by NASA and its international space and tech partners, witnessed the participation of nearly 600 individuals from Malaysia alongside a staggering 57,999 participants from 152 countries globally. This edition of the challenge has broken records as the largest NASA space app challenge to date and stands as one of the most significant hackathons in history.
Under the theme "Explore Open Science Together," the event emphasised collaborative efforts in advancing scientific exploration. The initiative was spearheaded by Yogeswaran, a local organising lead for the NASA App Challenge and a distinguished space flight engineer.
Tony Yap, a talented Malaysian scientist and AI technology enthusiast, showcased his expertise by developing an artificial intelligence (AI) application that leveraged space data and AI to address critical challenges in space travel. His award-winning work exemplifies his ingenuity and technical ability to integrate latest, cutting-edge AI technology to solve real-world problems.
Tony's exceptional achievement as a global finalist with an honorable mention from NASA judges not only highlights his outstanding talent but also underscores Malaysia's growing prominence and interest in the fields of data science, space science, AI, and technology.
This success story is expected to inspire countless aspiring scientists and technologists to pursue their dreams and actively contribute to solving global challenges. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Tony on this outstanding accomplishment that made Malaysia proud.