CNMI programmers get chance to work with NASA data

Programmers, students, and technology professionals in the CNMI now have an opportunity to work with real NASA data and develop projects tied to the U.S. space program through the NASA Space Apps Challenge.

And they will have someone locally to help them do it.

Arnel Gruspe, program director for STEMify CNMI and an adjunct instructor with Island Training Solutions, has been selected to represent the Northern Mariana Islands in the global NASA Space Apps Challenge and mentor local participants interested in joining the programming hackathon.

The challenge allows high school and college students, professionals and other participants to use publicly available NASA data to develop programs and other projects. Participants can use programming languages such as Python, HTML and JavaScript and choose among 14 challenge categories.

Gruspe said the opportunity essentially opens NASA's vast collection of data to programmers right here in the CNMI.

“The data is actually publicly open,” he said. “All you have to do is, they can use any programming language, but most specifically like Python or HTML JavaScript.”

Gruspe said he was selected in August after learning about the program through his participation in another NASA project. He submitted his name, Saipan as his location, and ideas about challenges that could be addressed locally.

He later received an email informing him that he had been approved to represent the Northern Mariana Islands.

For Gruspe, applying was a gamble worth taking.

“When I was chosen, it's like when I applied, it's like a shot to the moon, meaning shooting an arrow to the moon. Either I'm selected or not. It's a long shot,” he said.

Gruspe's role will largely involve helping participants with coding and turning their ideas into workable projects.

He previously taught HTML and CSS at Marianas High School and said students already taking Advanced Placement computer science courses in JavaScript and Python have the foundation needed to participate. He hopes to bring together students from both public and private schools rather than fielding only one Saipan team.

“The more teams that we have, the better,” Gruspe said.

Beginners, however, shouldn't be intimidated.

Gruspe said even middle school students can participate, including through Scratch programming. Some challenges allow participants to develop games and concepts involving such subjects as living in space or building a moon base.

Participants could also use NASA data to address problems much closer to home.

Gruspe pointed to NASA satellite and Earth science data that could be used to examine typhoons, coastal erosion, vegetation and other environmental issues. A local project, for example, could compare satellite imagery of Saipan before and after major typhoons and present the information through a dashboard, application or visual story.

Aside from the competition itself, Gruspe said the challenge gives young programmers practical experience in data analytics. NASA's available datasets can be accessed and incorporated into projects through application programming interfaces, or APIs.

He encouraged students, professionals and even those with only basic programming experience to come forward with an idea.

“If they have an idea, let's join together and put the CNMI in the global map of hackers,” Gruspe said, quickly clarifying that by “hackers,” he meant programmers.

Those interested can register through the NASA Space Apps Challenge website, create an account and look for the Saipan local event. Gruspe said he also plans to reach out to public and private schools and provide additional registration information through social media.

Gruspe brings years of programming and automation experience to the role. He is a certified computer programmer in the Philippines and previously taught at AMA Computer College in Zambales, Philippines. His professional background includes industrial automation, SCADA network programming and work as an automation engineer.

Ultimately, Gruspe said he hopes the challenge becomes more than a competition involving individual schools.

“If individuals, professionals, students are interested, please join or send me an email and reach out,” he said. “That way, we can form a team, a team for your school.”

He added that he hopes participation becomes a community-wide effort involving multiple public and private schools.

Those interested can register through the NASA Space Apps Challenge website, create an account, and look for the NASA Space Apps Challenge Saipan event. Gruspe said participants can click the “join” button and interact with him through the event page.

Interested students, professionals and other community members may also contact Gruspe directly at arnel.gruspe@gmail.com. He said he will post a QR code and additional information on social media and reach out to public and private schools about participating.

“If individuals, professionals, students are interested, please join or send me an email and reach out,” Gruspe said. “That way, we can form a team, a team for your school.”

He said he hopes participation will become a community-wide effort involving multiple public and private schools.