October 21, 2025

Written by Assoc Prof Ts Dr Sarah Flora Samson Juan

From left to right: Muhammad Arif Hamzi, Dr Cheong Yaw Liang, Deputy Minister I (Higher Education and Innovation) Datuk Dr. Haji Annuar bin Rapa’ee, Adilah Athirah Binti Atim, Siti Nor Jannah Muhamad, Audrey Virginia Sim, Ng Clarence Chuan Hann and Teo Yuang Teck.

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) once again shone at the Sarawak Space Apps Challenge 2025, with its student team CosmicNova from the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (FCSIT) clinching the Champion title in the Senior Category, taking home RM7,000 in prize money.

Their winning project, “Oops! The Sun Sneezes: Flarey’s Adventure”, is an interactive digital storybook that brings the science of space weather to life.

Developed using Figma, the story follows Flarey, a cheerful solar flare whose “sneeze” sparks a coronal mass ejection (CME).

Through playful storytelling and interactive choices—such as viewing space weather through the eyes of a pilot, student, farmer, or astronaut—children learn how solar flares impact everyday life on Earth.

The project cleverly addresses NASA’s global challenge of communicating complex space science in a fun, accessible way.

The five-member team comprised FCSIT 4th year students Audrey Virginia Sim (Multimedia Computing), Adilah Athirah Binti Atim (Computational Science), Ng Clarence Chuan Hann (Network Computing), FCSIT Alumni Muhammad Arif Hamzi Bin Syuhaime (Software Engineering) and Siti Nor Jannah Muhamad from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.

The team was guided by Prof Ts Dr Dayang Nurfatimah Awang Iskandar.

First Runner-Up went to Borneo Nexus with CitySync, an AI-powered app that integrates NASA Earth observation data to give real-time safety alerts on floods, haze, and air quality.

Meanwhile, Second Runner-Up, Panggau Libau, impressed judges with TerraShield, a machine-learning model predicting landslide risks across Western Sarawak.

Two consolation prizes were also awarded to Paradey by FCSIT 3rd year Software Engineering Student Hii Siew Chieng and groWise by Team Delta V from FCSIT for their creative use of NASA datasets in climate prediction and sustainable agriculture.

The Sarawak Space Apps Challenge, inspired by NASA’s global hackathon, continues to empower local innovators to use space technology for real-world solutions.

UNIMAS congratulates all winners for their outstanding creativity and contribution to space science education in Sarawak.

The Borneo Nexus team, made up of alumni from Politeknik Kuching, alongside Farrysha Qashryna, a 2nd year Software Engineering student at FCSIT (2nd from the right) 
The Panggau Libau team; students from UNIMAS Faculty of Resource Science and Technology and the Faculty of Engineering took home 3rd Prize for their project, “TerraShield”.
The Delta V team: FCSIT 3rd year Software Engineering students , Khairul Anas bin Mohamad Saupi, Nuaim Nuqman bin Arman, Azhar Sharif bin Abu Seman, Casey Ervin Clifton and Azrul Naim bin Abu Seli, and the Luna team: FCSIT 3rd year Computational Science student Hii Siew Chieng.
With all winners from both Senior and Junior categories of the Sarawak Space Apps Challenge 2025. FCSIT lecturers, Prof Ts. Dr Dayang Nurfatimah Awang Iskandar, Ts Ahmad Hadinata Fauzi and Ts Dr Sarah Samson Juan attended the closing ceremony.

FCSIT is one of the Premier Digital Tech Institutions endorsed by Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).

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