For the first time since its inauguration, the NASA Space Apps Challenge took place in Lebanon, providing Lebanese talents with the chance to engage the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) free and open data to address real-world problems on Earth and in space.

At the end of the competition, the CRDP Lebanese Space Phoenix received first place for their app, Urban Watch. The project, has now been selected as global nominee among 2,324 projects.

The web-based app provides location-based data-oriented recommendations for governmental organizations and stakeholders with the aim of guiding the users towards more durable and resilient future urban plans.

The CRDP Lebanese Space Phoenix is made up of five members, of which two are current students at The University of Balamand: Jad Matta, a senior majoring in Computer Science; Rudy Issa a Master of Science graduate who is currently enrolled in the TD program; and one member is an alumnus: Paul Melki a computer science graduate.

Urban Watch works on combining the power of satellite and Earth Observation techniques, to provide large scale data that can be used across various sectors and fields such as construction, agriculture, and environment friendly sources.

Congratulations to the winners and we wish them luck in the upcoming stages of the global competition.

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