Alumnus Burt Rutan Getting Ready for Test Flights of Six-Passenger 'Virgin Galactic' Orbit Crafts

NEWS & EVENTS About the College Academics & Research Groups & Services Prospective Students & Parents CENG Alumni News & Events Latest News Event Calendar Newsletters Annual Reports Pipeline Open House Dean's Letter Friday's Events Saturday's Events Directions/Parking Lodging Alumni Activities Frequently Asked Questions Contact Open House University Open House Site Dean's Advisory Council Corporate Relations Giving Back Visit the College
	October 14, 2009 Contact: Amy Hewes Cal Poly Engineering 805-756-6402 ahewes@calpoly.edu Alumnus Burt Rutan Getting Ready for Test Flights of Six-Passenger 'Virgin Galactic' Orbit Crafts Cal Poly alum Burt Rutan (B.S., Aeronautical Engineering, 1965), designer of the record-breaking SpaceShipOne -- the first private aircraft to reach space in 2004 -- is getting ready to break some more records. His Mojave Air and Space Port is getting ready for combined test flights of WhiteKnightTwo and the sleek two-pilot, six-person SpaceShipTwo - the world's first passenger-carrying suborbital spaceliner. The two aircraft are part of a partnership between Rutan and Sir Richard Branson, the entrepreneur owner of Virgin Galactic company. Like SpaceShipOne, the new SpaceShipTwo is designed to be carried to a high altitude by a mothership aircraft where it can launch on suborbital trips. Read the October FoxNews profile of Rutan	Lt. Col. Rick Sturckow Mechanical Engineering 1984 “A lot of the lessons I learned at Cal Poly helped me a both in the Marine Corps and at NASA. ” The Cal Poly education is an exceptional way to get well positioned to succeed.