Virgin Galactic lead test pilot to give talk at WSU May 21
Kansas native and test pilot Mark “Forger” Stucky will give a talk at Wichita State University on Tuesday May 21 at noon in the Experiential Engineering Building Room 264.

Stucky is the director of flight test for The Spaceship Company and lead test pilot for Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnight Two. He was one of two pilots to fly SpaceShipTwo to space in December last year and was recently awarded Commercial Astronaut Wings by the U.S Department of Transportation. 

Stucky's aviation career began in 1974 when he started hang-gliding off the Flint Hills at age 15.  He graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. in physical science and joined the United States Marine Corps where he flew the F-4 Phantom and F/A-18 Hornet. Stucky was selected for and graduated from the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TopGun), the Marine Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course, and the USAF Test Pilot School. After leaving the Marine Corps, Stucky accepted a research test pilot position with NASA, where he stayed from 1993-1999.

Stucky will speak on his background, Wichita State's connection to the SpaceShip One and Two programs and provide an update on the most recent flights.

The Experiential Engineering Building is located at 1800 Innovation Blvd, and ample parking is available. Attendees are welcome to bring a lunch. Light refreshments will be provided.

Learn more about Mark “Forger” Stucky:

National Institute for Aviation Research
Wichita State University
1845 Fairmount St., Wichita, KS 67260-0093 
Ph: (316) 978-6427