NASA to honor centennial challenge winners

WASHINGTON, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- NASA says it will honor the winners of its 2009 Centennial Challenges with a technical symposium and a recognition ceremony.

The Centennial Challenges Technical Symposium, open to the public, will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST Thursday, with winners discussing their accomplishments and answering questions.

The recognition ceremony will be at 10 a.m. Friday, with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden participating.

Both events are scheduled at the James Webb Memorial Auditorium at NASA headquarters in Washington.

The Centennial Challenges are NASA's program of technology prizes for citizen-inventors. Nine prizes totaling $3.65 million were awarded last year.

NASA Television will broadcast the events. NASA TV downlink, schedule and streaming video information is available at http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.