NOTHING BETWEEN US IS EMPTY
Yohaku is a global, open hybrid hackathon on how AI should act in a crowded, uncertain and shared orbit.
TAKE THE SURVEY · SUBMIT A YOUTH CHALLENGE · BECOME A MENTOR · HOST A LOCAL GROUP · BECOME A SPONSOR
Why Yohaku, why now
Yohaku — 余白 — is the meaningful space between things: where movement, relationship and consequence become possible.
Orbit was never empty. It has always held movement, forces, histories and meaning. Now it is becoming crowded with human-made objects — and increasingly dependent on automated decisions.
AI can help detect danger and estimate collision risk. But every manoeuvre raises a human question: whose data is trusted, who carries the risk when a prediction is uncertain, and who is accountable when systems disagree?
Yohaku asks what must remain human: judgment, accountability and responsibility for the risks carried by others. Guided by NARETU, it brings those questions into the design process before technology decides the future alone.
How it works
1. Listen
Yohaku begins with a global survey, gathering perspectives on what responsible AI in orbit should protect, prioritise and never decide without human accountability.
2. Frame the Questions
Young people are invited to submit the questions they believe the space sector must address. Selected youth-defined ideas will shape some of the Yohaku hackathon challenges.
3. Co-design
From 25–27 September, interdisciplinary teams work with mentors and the NARETU framework to explore those challenges.
4. Carry forward
The resulting ideas will inform the Orbital Responsibility Atlas and Charter, to be shared with policy, research and space-sector partners.
Choose how you take part
1. Take the survey
Open to everyone · approximately 10 minutes · closes September 25, 2026
TAKE THE SURVEY →
2. Submit a space debris challenge
What question should the space sector be asking?
We invite young adults — including students, early-career professionals, emerging researchers, entrepreneurs and community organisers — to submit a challenge that deserves to shape the future of orbit.
Start by reading the Youth Challenge Pack. It introduces the six starting points, explains what makes a strong challenge and helps you prepare your response. Then complete the online Challenge-Framing Canvas and submit your required two-minute video.
Related youth submissions may be combined to shape some of the Yohaku hackathon challenges.
1. READ THE YOUTH CHALLENGE PACK →
Submit by 1 September 2026.
3. Join the hackathon
Work with an interdisciplinary global team,online or through a local hub, 25–27 September 2026 · register by September 15, 2026
REGISTER FOR THE HACKATHON →
4. Become a mentor
Support participants with technical, ethical, policy or community knowledge · express interest by September 1, 2026
BECOME A MENTOR →
5. Create a local hub
Bring Yohaku to your university, school, organisation or city · register your group by September 1, 2026
HOST A LOCAL GROUP →
6. Become a sponsor
Help broaden access and carry the strongest ideas into the roundtable and policy phase.
· express interest by September 1, 2026
BECOME A SPONSOR →
NARETU
Yohaku is guided by NARETU, an Indigenous governance framework rooted in Samburu philosophy and adapted for the space sector by Chief Titus Letaapo and Space4Innovation. The Samburu are an Indigenous pastoralist people of northern Kenya, with knowledge systems grounded in reciprocal responsibility among people, land, animals and future generations.
NARETU keeps responsibility present throughout a decision: who is affected, who benefits, who carries risk, and who remains accountable. It was first put into practice during the LunAres Terra Nova analogue mission, designed to mirror the Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) crew’s work aboard the International Space Station in real time. The analogue-ISS simulation was delivered through a collaboration between the European Space Agency, Axiom Space and the Polish Space Agency (POLSA). NARETU has since been tested in a further analog mission and in Egypt's White Desert with ultra-runners navigating uncertainty, physical limits and shared responsibility.
From Yohaku to action
The survey, youth-defined challenges and hackathon findings will contribute to practical concepts and recommendations, shared with policy, research and space-sector partners, including the Royal Academy of Engineering.
No single discipline or institution sees the whole problem. YOHAKU creates the conditions for different forms of knowledge to meet, and for better questions to reach the places where decisions are made.
TAKE THE SURVEY · SUBMIT A CHALLENGE · JOIN THE HACKATHON · BECOME A MENTOR · CREATE A LOCAL HUB
BECOME A SPONSOR
Led by Space4Innovation and Tama University
In collaboration with the GEO Indigenous Alliance and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Seed-funded by the Royal Engineering Society.
FAQ
IS YOHAKU FREE?
Yes. There is no fee to take part in Yohaku, submit a youth challenge or complete the survey.
DO I NEED A BACKGROUND IN SPACE OR AI?
No. You do not need a background in space, engineering or AI.
Yohaku is designed for interdisciplinary exchange. We welcome different forms of expertise, experience and perspective, because the questions at stake cannot be answered by one discipline alone.
CAN I JOIN FROM ANYWHERE?
Yes. Yohaku is a global hybrid event: you can participate online from anywhere in the world, or join through a local hub where one is available.
CAN I JOIN WITHOUT A TEAM?
Yes. You can register individually. We will help participants connect across disciplines and locations.
CAN I SUBMIT A CHALLENGE WITHOUT JOINING THE HACKATHON?
Yes. You can submit a question even if you do not participate in the hackathon itself.
WILL THE WORK BE OPEN?
The Orbital Responsibility Atlas and Charter will be shared openly wherever possible. Please do not submit confidential, restricted or culturally sensitive material.
CAN MY UNIVERSITY OR ORGANISATION HOST A LOCAL GROUP?
Yes. Hosts organise their own venue and local arrangements; Yohaku provides shared guidance and connection to the wider event.
Our Team
Diana Matracci
Space4Innovation
_JPG.jpg)
Prof. Takashi Hikasa
Tama University
Titus Letaapo
Geo Indigenous Alliance
Mario Vargas Shakaim
GEO Indigenous Alliance
Dr. Kriton Glenn
GEO Indigenous Alliance
Prof. Anthony Vodacek
RIT
Jame Rattling Leaf Sr.
GEO Indigenous Alliance
Recent posts
