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Burt Rutan

Burt Rutan Quotes

Aerospace Engineering

Burt Rutan is an accomplished aerospace engineer renowned for his contributions to the design and development of private aircraft. Born on June 17, 1943, he is a co-founder of Rutan Aircraft Factory, which is known for its innovative designs and groundbreaking aircraft.

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All Space People Years Ifs Flight Nasa Looks Orbit Research Affordable Airplane Breakthrough Cost Industry Knows Needs Nonsense Predictions Program Spaceflight

Famous Burt Rutan Quotes

“A NASA astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut can't be creative. He has to follow a predetermined detailed checklist written by an engineer and if he gets a little creative he'll never fly again.”

Ifs Littles Creative Written Engineers Be Creative Astronaut Nasa Predetermined Checklists

Author:Burt Rutan

“When you have a transportation system that the price of propellant is essentially negligible something is very wrong. If you look at any other transportation system, a car, a motorcycle, a train, an oil tanker, an airliner, you name it; about a quarter to a third of the operating cost is buying the propellant.”

Ifs Looks Names Car Cost Thirds Train Oil Buying Quarters Transportation Motorcycle

Author:Burt Rutan

“I believe that research, that you can claim that you're doing research only if half of the people, and I'm talking about half of the experts, believe that the goal is impossible.”

People Ifs Believe I Believe Goal Half Talking Impossible Research Claims Experts

Author:Burt Rutan

“My study is NOT as a climatologist, but from a completely different perspective in which I am an expert … For decades, as a professional experimental test engineer, I have analyzed experimental data and watched others massage and present data. I became a cynic; My conclusion - 'if someone is aggressively selling a technical product who's merits are dependent on complex experimental data, he is likely lying'. That is true whether the product is an airplane or a Carbon Credit.”

Ifs Different Lying Study Products Perspective Tests Complexes Credit Decades Selling Conclusion Data Merit Experts Dependent Airplane Engineers Carbon Massage Different Perspective Cynic

Author:Burt Rutan

“The next 15 years will see thousands of people leave the atmosphere on suborbital flights. My company's SS2 system might fly 100,000 people by 2024. If it is shown to be highly profitable, perhaps we will see 20,000 people traveling to orbit by 2035, and then thousands to the moon by 2050. If we make a courageous decision, like the program we kicked off for Apollo, we will see our grandchildren in outposts on other planets.”

People Ifs Years Might Next Decision Company Planets Future Moon Program Flight Atmosphere Courageous Predictions Grandchildren Profitable Apollo Orbit Courageous Decisions

Author:Burt Rutan

“In the coming era of manned space exploration by the private sector, market forces will spur development and yield new, low-cost space technologies. If the history of private aviation is any guide, private development efforts will be safer, too.”

Ifs Force Space Effort Technology Development Cost Lows Guides Eras Aviation Yield Exploration Space Exploration Private Sector Spurs

Author:Burt Rutan

“A NASA-funded study estimates that if the price of a ticket to space approached $100,000, close to a million people would buy one. That's a $100 billion industry. Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen gave me $20 million in startup funding to go after that market.”

People Ifs Space Millions Study Industry Billions Tickets Funding Microsoft Nasa

Author:Burt Rutan

About the Author

Born: June 17, 1943
Known for: Aerospace Engineering
Quotes: 50

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