NASA and IBM are sponsoring a worldwide hackathon that challenges participants to build apps that could aid solving issues about space exploration and earthly problems, as well.

The ambitious event is called The Space App Challenge. It will take place this weekend simultaneously in 162 countries involving 136 cities and 10,000 participants that will attack a range of problems in categories like 'Print Your Own Space Food', 'Robots, Robots, Robots' and 'Clean Water Mapping.'

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The event was originally sponsored by NASA but this year, IBM is also chipping in by offering challenge participants free access to Bluemix, as well as Watson Analytics and the Internet of Things to create, develop and implement apps more quickly.

Main themes include Outer Space, Earth, Humans and Robotics. Developers, scientists, students, entrepreneurs and educators are expected to participate.

While participants are free to use any cloud platform they wish, IBM plans to sweeten the pot by offering access to some of its elite experts onsite in 26 cities. In another 36 cities, participants get access to virtual support online or by phone.

The goal of the contest is also to simply encourage creative and entrepreneurial thinking and the joys of programming. There will be events revolving around the hackathon like a Women of Data event in New York City this Friday where two women astronauts and the CTO of NASA will speak.

IBM will also provide US$120,000 in prizes for the best and most creative apps.

Organizers hope participants will find creative solutions to some of NASA's more pressing issues, while also creating a solid relationship between developers and the two organizations.

TagsNASA and IBM Partners to Sponsor a Worldwide Hackathon, NASA, Hackathon, space apps, Bluemix cloud services