An Indian American and an American, who jointly researched a space travel project, have won a $50,000 scholarship in the prestigious Siemens Westinghouse science competition.

Sean Mehra, born in Amritsar, and Jeffrey Reitman conducted the research involving the use of various nanoparticles -- particles so small they're measured in billionths of a metre -- to improve machinery lubricants that might be used during future ventures into outer space, to win the second prize.

The 17-year-olds met in a seventh-grade technology class. Mehra and Reitman soon discovered they shared a mutual interest for computers and other high-tech gear. They have worked together on various projects since then and this time they struck it big.