KUCHING: The Sarawak Space Challenge (SSC) 2025, formerly known as NASA Space Apps Sarawak, concluded on a high note with an inspiring Closing and Awards Ceremony here, marking five successful years of nurturing creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills among Sarawakian youth.
This year’s Challenge achieved a major milestone by hosting three simultaneous physical hackathons in Kuching, Sibu, and Miri on Oct 4 to 5, involving more than 350 participants.
In total, the programme engaged 6,150 participants statewide, supported by 46 roadshows and 18 workshops conducted throughout Sarawak.
These initiatives were made possible through close collaboration among the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation, the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), Curtin University Malaysia, and the US Embassy, demonstrating the strong spirit of partnership among government, academia, and international organisations.
The 2025 edition, themed “Learn, Launch, and Lead”, also embraced the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) through a collaboration with JOM AI, an AI-powered human resource platform designed to connect Sarawakian talents with potential employers and innovation partners, underscoring the Challenge’s evolving focus on digital transformation and employability in the AI era.
The 2025 edition saw six secondary schools sending more than ten teams, while strong representation also came from local higher learning institutions such as Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas), UTS, and Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak. Their active participation reflected the growing innovation capacity and applied learning culture within Sarawak’s education ecosystem.
This year’s finalists competed in both the Senior and Junior categories, presenting a diverse range of projects, including artificial intelligence applications, educational games, creative storytelling, and prototype development.
In the Junior Category, the Champion title went to SPACEBOYS from SMK Sacred Heart Sibu, while Fine Gentlemen from SJKC Chung Hua No. 1 Kuching and Interstellar4 from SMK Pujut Miri emerged as first and second runners-up, respectively.
TimeCircle from SMK Tung Hua Sibu and Flying Octopus from SMK St Joseph Kuching received consolation awards.
Meanwhile, in the Senior Category, CosmicNova from Unimas was crowned Champion, followed by Borneo Nexus from Politeknik Kuching Sarawak as the first runner-up, and Panggau Libau, also from Unimas, as the second runner-up.
Luna and Delta V, both from Unimas, received consolation prizes for their innovative projects.
