AkashDrishti
An Interactive Mission Dashboard for Exoplanet Detection | Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon 2026
The story
How it came together
AkashDrishti
AI-Powered Exoplanet Detection & Scientific Intelligence Platform
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Built for the Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon 2026 to demonstrate how artificial intelligence, astrophysics, and interactive product design can work together to accelerate exoplanet discovery.
Overview
AkashDrishti is an AI-powered scientific platform designed to support the detection and analysis of exoplanets through intelligent data processing, machine learning, and interactive visualization.
The project was developed as our submission for the Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon 2026, where the objective was to address real-world challenges in space technology through innovative engineering and scientific research.
Instead of presenting our solution through conventional slides, we envisioned a complete digital experience that communicates the mission, research, methodology, architecture, and impact through an intuitive web platform.
My Role
I served as the Mission Director and Principal Investigator, leading the project from concept to execution.
My responsibilities included:
- Defining the project vision and mission objectives
- Leading scientific research and problem analysis
- Planning the solution architecture
- Coordinating technical development
- Structuring the user experience and information flow
- Guiding product strategy
- Leading presentation and documentation efforts
Problem Statement
Modern exoplanet discovery relies on analysing enormous volumes of astronomical observations collected by missions such as Kepler and TESS.
These datasets contain subtle transit signals that are often buried within noise, making the identification of potential exoplanets both computationally intensive and time-consuming.
The challenge was to design an intelligent platform capable of simplifying this workflow while presenting scientific findings through an accessible and interactive interface.
Our Solution
AkashDrishti combines modern frontend technologies with artificial intelligence and scientific computing to create an end-to-end decision support platform for exoplanet exploration.
The platform integrates:
- Machine Learning-assisted candidate detection
- Explainable AI for prediction transparency
- Transit signal analysis
- Interactive scientific dashboards
- Research documentation
- Mission planning
- Intelligent reporting
The objective was not only to improve scientific analysis but also to make complex astronomical information understandable for researchers, judges, and decision-makers.
System Architecture
The platform follows a modular architecture consisting of:
Data Layer
- NASA Kepler Dataset
- NASA TESS Dataset
- NASA Exoplanet Archive
Scientific Computing
- NumPy
- Pandas
- SciPy
- Astropy
- Astroquery
- Lightkurve
Artificial Intelligence
- TensorFlow
- PyTorch
- Scikit-learn
- XGBoost
- Transit Least Squares (TLS)
- Box Least Squares (BLS)
Backend
- Python
- FastAPI
- Uvicorn
Frontend
- React
- TypeScript
- Tailwind CSS
- Plotly.js
- Framer Motion
Deployment
- Docker
- GitHub
- Hugging Face
- Google Colab
- Vercel
Key Features
- AI-powered exoplanet candidate detection
- Explainable AI with confidence scoring
- Transit signal visualization
- Scientific data exploration
- Interactive mission dashboard
- Automated reporting
- Responsive user interface
- Modular system architecture
- Human-in-the-loop validation
- Intelligent candidate prioritization
Challenges
One of the biggest challenges was balancing scientific complexity with usability.
The platform needed to remain technically accurate while communicating advanced astronomical concepts to users with varying levels of expertise.
Creating an interface that was both informative and intuitive required careful attention to information architecture, visual hierarchy, and product design.
What I Learned
AkashDrishti significantly expanded my understanding of interdisciplinary product development.
This project strengthened my experience in:
- Scientific research
- Product strategy
- Technical leadership
- AI-assisted systems
- Frontend engineering
- User experience design
- Information architecture
- Scientific communication
- Collaborative problem solving
More importantly, it demonstrated that impactful products emerge when research, technology, and design are developed together rather than independently.
Skills Demonstrated
- Mission Leadership
- Scientific Research
- Product Strategy
- Systems Thinking
- Frontend Development
- User Interface Design
- Information Architecture
- Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
- Scientific Computing
- Data Visualization
- Technical Documentation
- Problem Solving
- Cross-functional Collaboration
Outcome
AkashDrishti became far more than a hackathon submission.
It represents an exploration of how modern software engineering, artificial intelligence, and scientific research can converge to create meaningful tools for the future of space exploration.
The project strengthened my ability to lead multidisciplinary initiatives while translating complex scientific ideas into intuitive digital experiences.
Explore the Project
🌐 Live Website
https://akashdrishti-dashboard.vercel.app
"Turning astronomical data into discoveries through intelligent technology."
The problem
Detecting exoplanets requires analysing massive volumes of stellar observation data, interpreting subtle brightness variations, and presenting scientific findings in a way that researchers, judges, and stakeholders can quickly understand.
For the Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon, the challenge extended beyond proposing an algorithm. The solution needed to communicate the mission, research methodology, technical feasibility, and scientific impact through a clear, engaging, and presentation-ready experience.
The solution
AkashDrishti was designed as the digital face of our proposed exoplanet detection mission.
Instead of presenting the project as static slides, we developed an interactive dashboard that explained the mission vision, scientific background, technical approach, workflow, architecture, and expected outcomes through an intuitive web interface.
As Mission Director and Principal Investigator, I led the project's strategic direction, coordinated research planning, and helped shape how our solution was communicated to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Timeline
How it unfolded
2026 Q2
Problem Discovery
Analysed the ISRO Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon problem statement and defined the project direction.
2026 Q2
Research
Conducted literature review and studied existing exoplanet detection techniques.
2026 Q2
Planning
Defined mission objectives, product structure, and information architecture.
2026 Q2
Development
Built the interactive dashboard and presentation platform.
2026 Q2
Submission
Finalized and submitted the complete project for the Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon.
Stack
What it's built with
Learnings
What I took away
This project reinforced the importance of communicating scientific ideas through thoughtful digital experiences.
Beyond technical implementation, I gained valuable experience in research synthesis, mission planning, interdisciplinary collaboration, leadership, and presenting complex concepts in an accessible manner.
Leading the project as Mission Director and Principal Investigator strengthened my ability to bridge scientific research, product thinking, and user experience into a single coherent solution.
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