image of Burt Rutan
Burt Rutan
Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Scaled Composites

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Aerospace Engineering (1965)Honorary Doctor of Science (1987)
  • Founder and chairman emeritus of Scaled Composites, one of the most aggressive aerospace research companies in the the world.
  • Named "Entrepreneur of the Year" by Inc. magazine and described by Newsweek as "the man responsible for more innovations in modern aviation than any living engineer."
  • In 2004, made international headlines as the designer of SpaceShipOne, the world's first privately built manned spacecraft to reach space.
  • Rutan designed the legendary Voyager, the first aircraft to circle the world nonstop without refueling. Also developed the Ultralite, an all-composite 100 mpg show car for GM, and the Proteus "affordable U-2" aircraft.
  • Winner of the Presidential Citizen's Medal, and included in Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World."

Notable CSU Alumni in aerospace & aviation

aerospace & aviation
San Luis Obispo