Virgin Galactic CEO and Former NASA Chief of Staff on Space Travel in 2020--George Whitesides

My guest today is George Whitesides, who is the CEO and President of Virgin Galactic, the spaceflight company founded by Sir Richard Branson. With Scaled Composites, the company has developed the WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo vehicles, based on the X Prize-winning SpaceShipOne. In his role, he is responsible for guiding all aspects of the company to commercial operation at Spaceport America.Prior to Virgin Galactic, he served as Chief of Staff for NASA. Upon departure from the agency he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, the highest award the agency confers. He is also a fellow of the UK’s Royal Aeronautical Society.In our conversation we talk about the strengths and weaknesses of NASA, how space exploration is like aviation 100 years ago, and what the future of Virgin Galactic looks like. Below are the show notes and associated time stamps: Background (minute 02:40)Strengths and weaknesses of NASA (06:45)Working with Richard Branson (10:45)Leadership (15:00)How they're getting to space (19:00)Training (24:00)How space will change our culture (25:00)Lots of technical questions... (27:00)Next 5-10 years for VG (37:15)Aviation 100 years ago (39:15)SpaceX and Blue Origin (43:30)Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode I've also started a monthly newsletter where I send out a few useful or insightful things that have helped me over the last month. You can sign up by clicking here.LinkedIn-- @justinfighterpilotInstagram-- @justinfighterpilotFacebook--@justinfighterpilotThis episode was edited by Trevor CablerIf you'd like to help out, you can review the show by tapping here and scrolling to the bottom where it says: "Write a Review." Thanks for the support 👊

Om Podcasten

*Ranked a "2019 Top Podcast* This is a podcast that brings transparency to top performers, careers, and topics. My name is Hasard Lee. I'm an active F-35 fighter pilot for the Air Force. One of the most important lessons I've learned is that you have to be selective with who you listen to--there's a lot of noise out there. The goal of this podcast is to find experts who are at the top of their field to share their insights based on credibility and experience. About the Host:"Major Lee has 9 years of experience flying both the F-16 and F-35. In 2016, he was selected as the 'Top Instructor Pilot of the Year' for the Air Force's largest F-16 Combat Wing. In 2017, he returned from Afghanistan where his squadron dropped the most ordnance since the opening days of the war. He's flown 82 combat missions and has 4 Air Medals."