Brian Binnie: Learning from Space Entrepreneurs
On October 4, 2004, Brian Binnie piloted SpaceShipOne above 100 km, marking the third time ever—and the second time in as many weeks—that a civilian astronaut had taken a privately built craft to outer space. In doing so, Binnie and SpaceShipOne captured the $10 million Ansari X PRIZE for Mojave Aerospace Ventures. Prizes like the Ansari X PRIZE and later efforts like the NASA-funded Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge and the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE exist to focus public attention and apply innovative new ideas to targeted technical problems. Equally, if not more, important are the innovative program management practices that come into play when extremely small and motivated teams put their own money on the line to win a prize. Program mangers at NASA and other government agencies can take important cues from the teams competing for prizes.
For the full length video please visit APPEL’s page on the Masters Forum 16 videos here http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oce/appel/knowledge/multimedia/masters_forum_16_videos.html
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