Described by Newsweek as "the man responsible for more innovations in modern aviation than any living engineer," Burt Rutan is a bold entrepreneur and designer with the vision and passion for the advancement of technology.
In 2004 Rutan made international headlines as the designer of SpaceShipOne, the world's first privately built manned aircraft to reach space, and as winner of the $10 million X prize, the competition created to spur the development of affordable space tourism. "Manned space flight is not only for governments to do," says Rutan. "We proved it can be done by a small company operating with limited resources and a few dozen dedicated employees. The next 25 years will be a wild ride, one that history will note was done for everyone's benefit."
Rutan's vision of private enterprise offering adventure rides into space is already on its way to becoming a reality. Sir Richard Branson, owner of the Virgin Group, is licensing SpaceShipOne's technology, with flights scheduled to begin in 2007. In 15 years, Rutan predicts, "space tourism will be a multibillion-dollar business."
The exciting development and launch of SpaceShipOne, financed by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, was featured in two Discovery Channel documentaries, including "Black Sky: The Race for Space." A 60 Minutes profile, "Burt Rutan: An American Original," aired in November 2004.
Winner of the Presidential Citizen's Medal and the Charles A. Lindbergh Award, Rutan is the founder and CEO of Scaled Composites, the most aggressive aerospace research company in the world. Based in Mojave, CA, his company has developed and tested a variety of groundbreaking projects, from military aircraft to executive jets, showcasing some of the most innovative and energy-efficient designs ever.
Rutan designed the legendary Voyager, the first aircraft to circle the world non-stop, without refueling. He also developed the Ultralite, an all-composite 100mpg show car for GM, and the Proteus "affordable U-2" aircraft. His latest projects include Steve Fossett's Virgin GlobalFlyer, which will attempt to break the Voyager's record time and become the first non-stop, solo flight around the world.
The success of Scaled Composites owes itself to Rutan's philosophy that the best ideas come from the collaborative efforts of small, closely-knit project teams and an environment unlimited by adversity to risk. According to Aviation Week, Rutan is "a capable manager who has been able to attract technicians, pilots and workers who revel in the entrepreneurial and creative spirit exisiting at Scaled Composites."
Rutan's speeches include footage of SpaceShipOne and images of his widely innovative designs. His visions for the future -- including space travel for "the rest of us," an individual small aircraft transportation system and a technology-enabled super society -- will stir the imagination of any audience. Lively and witty, he inspires audiences with his enthusiasm for what individuals with vision can achieve.
