This November, Reason will present the Fifth Annual Savas Award for Privatization to the co-winner of the Ansari X Prize, legendary aerospace engineer Burt Rutan. In 2004, the Rutan-designed SpaceShipOne was the first privately funded, designed, and flown craft to reach space.

Together with the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Rutan founded the Tier One project in the 1990s to privately develop a craft capable of reaching space. With the Rutan-designed SpaceShipOne, the team was successful, and won the $10 million Ansari X Prize as the first non-government organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks.

During the Apollo program to complete the first manned lunar landing, over 4% of the federal budget was directed to NASA. The enormous cost of government-run space exploration would prove to be unsustainable.

After winning the X Prize, Rutan said, “Manned space flight is not only for governments to do. We proved it can be done by a small company operating with limited resources and a few dozen dedicated employees.”

The award presentation will take place during Reason’s annual trustee dinner at The Modern, a two Michelin star restaurant located in the Museum of Modern Art. We’ll also hear from The Coddling of the American Mind author and New York University Stern School Professor Jonathan Haidt, who will make a keynote address.

Reason launched the Savas Award in honor of Dr. E. S. (“Steve”) Savas, who as First Deputy City Administrator of New York City pioneered the concept of municipal privatization, which was then refined and popularized by Reason’s Bob Poole. Each year, we present the award to “a remarkable individual who is advancing innovative ways to better and more cost-effectively provide public services through partnerships with private organizations.” Previous recipients of the award include former Indiana governor and current Purdue University President Mitch Daniels, Success Academy co-founder Eva Moskowitz, former Indianapolis Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, and Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools co-founder Ambassador Frank Baxter.

Individual tickets for this event are not available for sale. Limited seating will be offered through sponsorship opportunities, which are available on a limited basis.

This is a private event.

For additional information or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Reason’s Director of Policy Development Preston Cornish at preston.cornish@reason.org or (240) 406-9023.