Designed the first aircraft (named "voyager") to fly around the world
non-stop without refueling in 1986.
Winner of the 10 million dollar X-prize competition in 2004 for putting
the first privately built aircraft in to sub-orbital space. Within two
weeks his aircraft named "Spaceship One" made two flights above 62
miles in altitude, reaching zero gravity and was capable of carrying
the pilot and two passengers.
Has nearly forty original flight patents, including SpaceShipOne and
its support vehicle White Knight, the first privately built aircraft to
reach suborbital space.
Designed the Voyager aircraft flown by his brother, pilot Dick Rutan, in December 1986. Along with co-pilot Jeana Yeager, they set a record for flying around the world without stopping or refueling.