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 Burt 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 Burt. "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." In 15 years, he 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 Peabody award-winning Discovery Channel documentaries, including "Black Sky: The Race for Space." A 60 Minutes profile, "Burt Rutan: An American Original," aired in November 2004.

Burt designed the legendary Voyager, the first aircraft to circle the world nonstop, 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 broke the Voyager's record time, becoming the first nonstop solo flight around the world.

The success of Scaled Composites owes itself to Burt'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, Burt is "a capable manager who has been able to attract technicians, pilots, and workers who revel in the entrepreneurial and creative spirit existing at Scaled Composites."

Winner of the Presidential Citizen's Medal, the Charles A. Lindbergh Award, and two Collier Trophies, and noted as one of Time magazine's "100 most influential people in the world," Burt is the founder and CEO of Scaled Composites, the most aggressive aerospace research company in the world. Based in Mojave, California, 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 flown.