Astro Code 2026 IEEE AAU CS
AstroCode 2026 has officially came and went, splashing the scene very hard as one of the biggest events in the branch's history.
It was held at Amman Arab University's dorm on June 8th 2026. And its community preparations started as soon as May of that year.
- Main Event:
The Astro Code competition is a national hackathon that focuses on creating a multidisciplinary platform for over 250 students from 15+ Jordanian universities to tackle real national space challenges through applied solutions.
Following yesteryear's Incredible success, this year's rendition continued on its predecessor's footsteps by also being held on AAU's dorm. The event was supervised by the IEEE AAU Student Branch and was organized by the IEEE Aerospace and Electronic Systems Society (AESS), IEEE Computer Society (CS), IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS), IEEE Women in Engineering (WiE), and Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBS) Student Branch Chapters at Amman Arab University.
The competition aimed to address Jordan’s priority space challenges by advancing space science and applications, transforming these challenges into practical and innovative solutions led by students from 17 universities across Jordan for an intensive 48-hour experience.
The competition aimed to address Jordan’s priority space challenges by advancing space science and applications, transforming these challenges into practical and innovative solutions led by university students across the country. aerospace engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics, space systems, software development, biomedical engineering, and sustainability were all fields affiliated with said advancements. All topics covered and represented by their respective IEEE student societies in their pre-training sessions; an effort by the branch's communities to make sure the competition goes as smoothly as possible.
The competition was split into five main tracks for participating teams to indulge in:
- AI & Space Software
- Space Systems & Robotics.
- Space Solutions & Applications.
- Space Engineering & Exploration.
- Space Health & Sustainability.
Each of these tracks were carefully chosen to represent an area of expertise that was open to innovation contemporary solutions that would greatly address all local and global needs.
AstroCode 2026 was built on a fully collaborative model among participating IEEE technical societies, each contributing its expertise by defining track specific challenges, leading specialized training programs, supervising participating teams, and supporting the competition’s organization and administration. This collective effort created a comprehensive framework that bridged academic knowledge with practical implementation, fostering innovation, teamwork, and research aligned with Jordan’s future in space and advanced technologies.
- Side activities:
In addition to the main hackathon, AstroCode 2026 featured a slew of engaging activities.
These included:
- Opening Ceremony & Panel Discussion:
A professional panel discussion on space and space technologies, featuring representatives from: -- Dr.Ammar sakaji – President The Jordanian Astronomical Society.
- Dr. Hana Sabat - Director of Scientific Affairs &Training Of Regional Center for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia.
- Prof. Ahmad Bani Younes – Head Of Pacecraft Platform for Astronautics and Celestial Emulation Labratory In San Diego State University. - Esports Event:
Fun ice-breaker for participants to let out their competitor spirits in an engaging small-scale videogame tournament featuring some of the hottest games from the Esports scene. - Student Debate Session:
A structured student debate between a team defending the engineering and mechanical perspective. And a team defending the technology and software perspective.
The debate was conducted by students from different IEEE student societies from all participating universities. - Astronomical Observation & Space Culture Night:
The evening featured the following:
- Astronomical observation using optical telescopes.
- Advanced telescopes utilizing AI-based object recognition to identify celestial objects and planets.
- Activities aimed at promoting space culture and awareness among participants. - Aerial Drone & UAV Show:
A live aerial demonstration using drones and fixed-wing UAVs. As well as a showcase of aerospace applications and unmanned systems technology as part of the competition activities.
- CS contribution:
The competition consisted of five main tracks, each containing 2–3 challenges.
Each track was supervised by a Track Advisor, who oversees the track’s challenges, guides student teams, and provides support during the hackathon. The CS Student Chapter at AAU was advising (Track 3: Space Solutions & Applications).
The track focused mostly on software and technical solutions, the community's specialty.
And consisted of these five challenges:
- Mission on Earth: Inspire Jordan's Future Space Explorers:
- Interactive Space Education Platform.
- Drone & Cubesat Regulations and Information Platform.
- Satellite-based Smart Urban & Traffic Analytics.
- Mission Control Jordan: Space Applications for Life on Earth.
- Timeline & schedule:
- Day 1 (June 8th 2026):
- Opening Ceremony: 9:00 AM
- Competition starts immediately after the opening.
- End Of Opening Ceremony: 12:00 PM
- Drone Show 8:00 PM
- Space Culture Night 10:00 PM
- Day 2 (June 9th 2026):
- Competition ends: 12:00 PM
- How to Present Your Project session: 12:00 – 1:00 PM
- Judging starts: 1:00 PM
- Lunch break: 2:30 PM
- Judging ends: 3:00 PM
- Closing Ceremony & Awards: 4:00 PM
- Sponsors / Support:
- IEEE AAU communities respectively: IEEE CIS AAU, IEEE CS AAU, IEEE RAS AAU, IEEE AESS AA (organization/ preparation/ coordination/ supervision/ training).
- IEEE EMBS (organization/ preparation/ coordination/ supervision/ training).
- IEEE AAU Student Branch (organization/ preparation/ coordination/ funding)
- Amman Arab University (venue and facilities)
- F&B sponsors.
Date and Time
Location
Hosts
Registration
-
Add Event to Calendar
- Amman Arab University
- Amman, Jordan
- Jordan 11118
- Building: Amman Arab University building B
- Click here for Map
- Starts 19 May 2026 10:20 PM UTC
- Ends 06 June 2026 10:21 PM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Mousa of IEEE Jordan Section
Artificial Intelligence: Transforming Innovation Across Industries
Biography:
"obtained my B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in computer science from the University of Jordan (UoJ) in 2000 and 2003, respectively.
During my M.Sc. study, I worked as a quality assurance and software developer for a US software development company that has a branch in Jordan. At the end of 20003 I joined UoJ as TA and obtained a scholarship to continue my Ph.D. study. I earned my Ph.D. degree in 2007 from De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.
My Ph.D. specialization is artificial neural networks & communications. From 2007-2012 I worked as an assistant professor in the Computer Information Systems Department, King Abdullah II School for Information Technology, University of Jordan. I was promoted to the rank of an associate professor in 2012.
In August 2014, I joined Saudi Electronic University (SEU). Now I'm the coordinator for M.Sc. Information Security Program.
My research interests include artificial intelligence, particularly artificial neural networks, Voice over IP, robotics, genetic algorithm, fuzzy logic, e-learning, and m-learning.
I'm a senior member of IEEE and I was elected as a chair for the joint Computational Intelligence / Computer Chapter, Jordan section for the years 2012-2013. I was the secretary for general activities of the IEEE executive committee, Jordan Section for the years 2010-2011, I was re-elected for the same position for the years 2012-2013. Currently I'm the secretary for IEEE Western Saudi Arabia Section.
I'm a member of IEEE CIS & RAS Societies. I'm also in the steering and technical committees for a number of local and international conferences. I serve as reviewer and a member of the editorial board in a number of local and International Journals. I also served as a judge in the national and Arabic robotic contest (First LEGO League). I also served as a chief judge in F1 in schools national contest.
I received UoJ Distinguished Researcher Award for the Year 2011. I also received IEEE Jordan Section Active Volunteer Award in 2013."
Address:Amman Arab University, , Amman, Jordan, Jordan, 11118
Mohammad of Amman Arab University
The Role of Innovation and Student Engagement in Building Future Leaders
Biography:
Dr. Mohammad Bin Tareef is with the Dean of Student Affairs at AAU, where he plays a pivotal role in enhancing student life, fostering leadership, and supporting initiatives that contribute to students’ academic, personal, and professional development. Throughout his career, he has been actively involved in advancing student engagement programs, promoting innovation, and creating opportunities that empower young people to realize their full potential.
Address:Amman Arab University, , Amman, Jordan, Jordan, 11118
Sami Al-Tamimi
Secretary – IEEE Computer Society, Amman Arab University Student Branch