Kick-off 2020 on a high with legendary aircraft & spacecraft designer Burt Rutan as he shares his thoughts on aeronautics’ second century.
Now retired, perhaps America’s most recognised Aerospace Engineer and Aerospace entrepreneur, Burt is noted for his originality in designing light, strong, unusual-looking, energy-efficient experimental aircraft. From VariViggen to the record-breaking Voyager, which in 1986 was the first plane to fly around the world without stopping or refueling, and on to the sub-orbital spaceplane SpaceShipOne, which won the Ansari X-Prize in 2004 becoming the first privately funded spacecraft to enter the realm of space twice within a two-week period. Burt has shown diligence in the science and art of aeronautics, inventiveness and great resolve to meet sometimes unrecognised challenges with his designs.
In this lecture, we will hear Burt’s perspective on the technical challenges ahead, aerospace’s response to it, and perspectives on innovation in the century to come.
