Eligibility

  • The competition is open to all nationalities and ages. Startups, companies, professionals, and students are all welcome to form teams.
  • Each team is allowed to have 1–5 members, but the participants may not work on multiple teams. We recommend forming interdisciplinary teams.
  • The participants may join either the Implementation or the Innovation category but not both. Each team may only register for one group and submit one entry only.
  • 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).
  • 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.
  • 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.

Challenge 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 and 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

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

  • 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

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

  • Others

    • 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

Preliminary
Review

Online written review (in English)：
  • Submit written materials. Prepare a 10-slide proposal describing your project concept.

Final
Review

Written presentation review (in English)：
  • Submit written materials.
  • Provide a 3-min proposal video with English subtitle.

30%

Relevance to Space

The connection between the product or service and space.

30%

Problem Solving

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

30%

Future Impact

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

10%

Business Feasibility Assessment

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

Implementation Category

Preliminary
Review

Online written review (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-sec project description video (with English subtitles).

40%

Theoretical and Technical Innovation

The completeness of the product or service in terms of its technological innovation and theoretical application.

20%

Problem Solving

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

20%

Future Impact

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

20%

Business Feasibility Assessment

Financial planning for future commercial operations of the concept or product.

From now until the2025/06/30submission deadline

Sponsor Special Topic

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

  • 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

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

  • Supporting Documents

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

  • Preliminary Review

    • Evaluation：Online (in English)
    • Submission：Submit written materials. Prepare proposal no more than 10-slide describing your payload concept.

  • Final Review

    • Evaluation：Online (in English)
    • Submission：Submit written materials. Prepare updated proposal no more than 15-slide describing your payload and CubeSat Mission concept.

  • Judging Criteria

    • Theoretical and Technical Innovation (30%)：The completeness of the product or service in terms of its technological innovation and theoretical application.

    • Problem Solving (30%) ：How the product or service may improve or solve the existing issues in the space industry.

    • Future Impact (20%) ：Clearly highlight the impact of space and satellite applications on future industries.

    • Business Feasibility Assessment (20%)：Financial planning for future commercial operations of the concept or product.