Turning space data into flood response tools: inside Team Aegis’ CASSINI Hackathon project

Team Aegis won the CometLab Award at the Dutch edition of the 11th CASSINI Hackathon, earning access to CometLab facilities at NL Space Campus. Their project combines Copernicus, EFAS and Galileo services in a platform designed to support both citizens and emergency responders during flood events.

The system provides users with a five-level flood alert, evacuation guidance and an SOS function that shares their location with rescue teams. Emergency responders access the same underlying data through a live operational dashboard, helping both sides work from a shared understanding of the situation.

The team consisted of Maurice Boendermaker, Harika Ireddy, Mark Salloum, Thijs van Steenbeek and Mathijs de Niet. While Maurice and Mathijs had previous hackathon experience, the event marked a first hackathon for most of the team.

The hackathon took place from 24 to 26 April at CometLab, NL Space Campus in Noordwijk, and was one of ten simultaneous national editions held across Europe. Participants in Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain and the Netherlands tackled water-related challenges using European space technologies. The competition was organised around three themes: securing equitable and efficient access to water, tracking and preventing water pollution, and disaster risk monitoring. Aegis competed in Challenge 3, Disaster Risk Monitoring. Over three days, teams of students, developers, researchers and entrepreneurs developed and pitched ideas using Copernicus satellite data alongside national and local datasets. The Dutch event was organised by a consortium led by dotSPACE Foundation, together with NL Space Campus, Rijkswaterstaat and NVWA. The Municipality of Noordwijk supported and sponsored the event.

The gap they wanted to close

The data needed to support flood response already exists. The European Flood Awareness System publishes forecasts, Copernicus satellites monitor environmental conditions including rainfall and soil moisture, and Galileo provides precise positioning. The challenge is making that information accessible and useful for the people who need it during an emergency. As the team explains: “When a flood or storm hits, regular alerts tell you something is wrong, but not what to actually do, where to go, or how much time you have.”

Aegis was developed to address that gap. Users receive a five-level alert generated from Copernicus and EFAS data, evacuation guidance based on their circumstances and an SOS function that uses Galileo positioning to provide emergency responders with an accurate location. The team also explored a fallback communication method that could continue delivering warnings if conventional mobile networks become unavailable. On the responder side, the platform provides a live map built from the same underlying data, allowing emergency services to monitor developments and coordinate their response.

The platform draws on Copernicus datasets including EFAS flood forecasts, Sentinel imagery, soil moisture and rainfall data, alongside Galileo positioning services. It was designed as a modular system, allowing additional hazards such as storms, wildfires and heatwaves to be integrated through the same interface and operational workflow.

Forming the team

The team came together through a shared WhatsApp group where Maurice regularly shares hackathons and other opportunities. “I shared the hackathon there, everyone signed up, and that’s how our team came together,” he says.

Some members already knew each other well, while others had only met briefly before the event. Maurice, Mark and Thijs all study Computer Science at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. Harika studies Computer Science at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, while Mathijs works at SSC-ICT within the Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations.

Several team members were drawn to the event by its focus on space technologies. “Before studying computer science, I even considered studying astronomy,” says Maurice. “Although I ultimately chose a different career path, I never lost my interest in space, so this hackathon immediately caught my attention.” Harika shared a similar interest. “I’ve always been fascinated by satellite data. The hackathon felt like the perfect opportunity to combine both interests.”

Building the idea

The team went through multiple iterations before arriving at the final concept. “Some of our early ideas had already been explored in one form or another, so we had to refine our approach and look for ways to add value,” Maurice recalls.

Mentors played an important role throughout the process. “Every mentor who visited our table looked at the project from a different perspective,” says Mark. “Some suggested improvements, others pointed out weaknesses or opportunities. Their feedback helped shape the final application.” For a team where most members were participating in their first hackathon, that guidance proved particularly valuable. “The mentors helped us understand who the potential users would be, what problem we were actually solving, and how to think about the solution from different perspectives,” says Mathijs.

Several team members also highlighted how much they learned about the availability of Earth observation data during the event. “I was amazed by both the amount of information available and the fact that much of it is publicly accessible,” says Mark. Mathijs echoes that view. “Before the hackathon, I had no experience with this type of data. Learning how accessible these resources are was one of the biggest takeaways for me.” For Thijs, the most striking aspect was seeing how satellite data could be applied in practice. “Looking at our own project and the projects from previous years, it was incredible to see how satellite data can be used to predict events and support decision-making. The possibilities are much broader than I had imagined.”

Confidence in the concept grew as the project took shape. “At first, I didn’t expect us to place in the top three,” Mark admits. “But as mentors reacted positively and became increasingly enthusiastic about the idea, I started to feel more confident. By the end, I genuinely believed we had developed a strong solution to a relevant problem.”

Access Aegis Demo

Recognition at the Hackathon

In addition to recognition from the jury, Team Aegis received the CometLab Award, which provides access to CometLab facilities at NL Space Campus.

The team demonstrated both the citizen-facing application and the responder dashboard during the hackathon, but several technical components remain on the roadmap, including expanded Copernicus integrations and offline Galileo-enabled functionality.

“During the hackathon, I realised that the idea had genuine potential,” says Mathijs. “I briefly considered pursuing it further because I think governments and communities vulnerable to flooding could benefit from such a solution.”

Maurice agrees. “If there were another hackathon or programme where we could continue developing the idea, I think we would certainly consider it.”

Beyond the hackathon

The experience also shifted how several team members think about the space sector. Harika is now reconsidering her academic plans. “I’m currently deciding on a minor for my third year, and now I’m seriously considering something related to astronomy or satellites. I didn’t realise how closely computer science and space technologies are connected.”

Thijs found himself revisiting an earlier interest. “When I was younger, I always said I wanted to work at NASA. Over time, I focused more on computer science, but the hackathon definitely reignited my interest in the space sector.”

Several participants also highlighted the broader skills developed during the event — teamwork, communication, rapid prototyping, and presenting technical ideas to different audiences.

Bringing people, data and expertise together through hackathons

From water pollution and equitable access to water to disaster risk monitoring, the 11th CASSINI Hackathon challenged participants across Europe to explore how EU space technologies can be applied to pressing water-related issues. Over three days, teams worked with data and services from programmes such as Copernicus and Galileo to develop solutions addressing real-world environmental and societal challenges.

For Team Aegis, the event provided an opportunity to explore how existing space-based services could be combined into a tool designed to support people during flood emergencies. While the project remains at an early stage, the team believes the concept has potential for further development and could offer value to governments and communities vulnerable to flooding.

Beyond the prototypes themselves, the hackathon brought together students, researchers, developers, public sector organisations and industry representatives around shared challenges. In doing so, it highlighted not only the capabilities of European space infrastructure but also the role collaborative innovation can play in turning data into practical solutions.

Photo credit: Arend Jan Hermsen, Par-pa fotografie