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Eligibility

  1. The competition is open to all nationalities and ages. Startups, companies, professionals, and students are all welcome to form teams.
  2. Each team is allowed to have 1–5 members, but the participants may not work on multiple teams. We recommend forming interdisciplinary teams.
  3. Each team may submit only one entry.
  4. Participants can only register for either the “Implementation Category” or the “Innovation Category,” but not both, and cannot participate in multiple teams. However, registration for the “Sponsor Special Topic” is not subject to this restriction. Participants who have registered for the “Implementation Category” or “Innovation Category” may still join the “Sponsor Special Topic.”
  5. The participants in either the Implementation or Innovation Category may also register for the Sponsor Special Topic. Those who do not participate in these groups may only register for the Sponsor Special Topic (one entry per team).
  6. Each team may have up to 2 mentors/experts (optional), but the participants cannot serve as mentors/experts for their own team or any other team.
  7. To ensure fairness, team names, project titles, submitted documents (preliminary and final review), videos, and presentations must not reveal team information, including names (team members and mentors/experts), affiliations (companies, schools, etc.), or any identifiable images (photos, logos, etc.). Violators will be disqualified. Only team members may participate in trainings and enter the presentation venue.

Themes

We focus on four key areas: “Ground Equipment and Services,” “Satellite Manufacturing,” “Satellite Services,” and “Satellite Launch”; the rest are categorized as “Others.” Participants are invited to propose relevant service scenarios and innovative solutions in these fields.

Ground Equipment Services

Ground Equipment & Services

  • Ground Stations: RF equipment, array antennas, power supply equipment, printed circuit boards, related electronic and mechanical components, data modulation and control, and others.

  • User Terminals: Very-small-aperture terminals (VSATs), array antennas, and data modulation and control, and others.

Satellite Manufacturing Icon

Satellite Manufacturing

  • Antennas and RF/baseband components and chips, software satellites, telemetry payloads, and others.

Satellite Services Icon

Satellite Services

  • Satellite communication applications and solutions, edge computing technology, satellite broadband services, satellite IoT services, satellite voice and narrowband data transmission, and integrated ICT services.

  • Satellite remote sensing and image recognition, data processing, and other services.

  • Satellite network security and resilience, data encryption, quantum communication, and other services.

Satellite Launch Icon

Satellite Launch

  • Launch service matchmaking, launch service agency, and launch mission consulting and management, and others.

Other Icon

Other

  • Space environment cleanup, space radiation detection, space equipment testing technology, space agriculture, microgravity experiments, space politics, space economy, space law, and others.

Judging and Criteria

Innovation Category

Stage

Review Methods

Submission Items

Preliminary Review

Online Review (in English)

  • Submit written materials.

    Prepare a 10-slide proposal describing your project concept.

Final Review

Online (in English)

  • Submit written materials.

  • Provide a 3-min proposal video (with English subtitles).


30%

Relevance to Space

30%

Problem Solving

30%

Future Impact

10%

Business Feasibility Assessment

The connection between the product or service and space.

How the product or service can improve or solve existing issues in the space industry.

Clearly highlight the impact of the space and satellite applications on future industries.

Whether the concept or product/service has sufficient market potential.

Implementation Category

Stage

Review Methods

Submission Items

Preliminary Review

Online Submission (in English)

  • Submit written materials.

    Prepare a 10-slide proposal describing your project concept.

Final Review

Proposal Report and Project Demonstration Review (in English)

  • Prepare your proposal presentation.

  • Provide a visual display of the project, for example, the product, the prototype, a 3D model, dashboard, simulation, or other representations.

  • Provide a 90-second project description video (with English subtitles).


Overview: Sponsor Special Topic

To increase the international visibility of the product and inspire innovative space solutions, the competition invites international space companies to present challenges that would address the industry needs and connect them. This will give the competition teams the opportunity to brainstorm solutions, facilitating exchanges between the space industry and emerging talents.

Sponsor Special Topic - Proposed by HEX20

HEX20

This Sponsor Special Topic is an opportunity to bridge industry needs with creative space solutions, pushing the boundaries of satellite applications.

Description
Description

Topic:Payload Design for Integrated Earth Observation and Space Domain Awareness

  1. This Sponsor Special Topic invites participants to design a 3U to 27U CubeSat carrying an innovative custom payload, which is developed by participants that delivers high-impact insights for business, sustainability and global development. The payload needs to be designed for Earth Observation or Space Domain Awareness using multispectral optical, thermal, or surveillance sensors. Participants need to design the payload and CubeSat.

  2. Integrate at least two of the HEX20’s subsystems to enhance mission operations and onboard data handling.

  3. The payload may refer to either a conceptual idea or a product that has already been commercialized.

How to Apply
How to Apply

Fill out application form, upload the document with required format​.
(Please download the presentation format from the 'Competition Registration' section under the 'Contest Documents Download Area’)

Supporting Documents
Supporting Documents

HEX20 provides reference subsystems materials to the participating teams for a clearer understanding. The documents will be sent to participants after they register for the Sponsor Special Topic.

Registration

Stage

Evaluation

Submission

Registration

Online (in English)

Submit written materials. Prepare proposal no more than 10-slide describing your payload concept.

Final Review

Stage

Evaluation

Submission

Final Review

Online (in English)

Submit written materials. Prepare updated proposal no more than 15-slide describing your payload and CubeSat Mission concept.