FIRST prize in a European Space Agency (ESA) technology competition went to a Littledean teenager and his team mates on Monday (September 18).

Lewis Bell was picked as one of 24 candidates from across Europe to take part in the agency’s ‘app camp’ at ESA’s centre for Earth observation (ESRIN) in Frascati near Rome.

Candidates worked in teams to design apps for phones which use data from the ESA’s ‘Copernicus’ Satellite Earth Observations and make it accessible to a broad audience.

“Lewis and his teammates ‘AiR’ app displays an interactive projection of the world’s surface to airborne travellers from Copernicus Sentinel sat­ellite imagery, letting them see information about the cities and landmarks they pass over during their flight, without the disruptions of clouds or the plane getting in the way.

Lewis’s father, Jason Bell, said: “Lewis and his three teammates are all studying computer science at the University of Bristol.

“They were the youngest and least experienced there, but they still managed to win the overall prize, winning 2,500 Euros between them and gaining considerable prestige and, hopefully, the opportunities that go with it. 

“There is also the possibility of funding support from the ESA’s partners to bring their app to the market if they wish.”  

ESA director general, Jan Woerner, discussed the importance of ESA’s space activities for society.

“We are developing spacecraft and launching spacecraft, but all of this is for the people on Earth,” he said.