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TEDxHuntsville - Tim Pickens - Explore, Have Fun and Live to Tell About It

1,031 views · Published 10 November 2011 · 17:04 · Indexed 30 September 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2011 · Science & Technology

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TIM PICKENS
Tim is commercial space advisor and chief propulsion engineer at Dynetics. He is also team leader of the Rocket City Space Pioneers, a Huntsville-centric commercial team going after the Google Lunar X Prize. He will be the featured scientist in an upcoming episode of the National Geographic Show, "Mad Scientists." His career accomplishments include leading the propulsion design for the world's first commercial human-rated and reusable spaceship, Spaceship 1 (SS1), for Burt Rutan. SS1, winner of the $10 million Ansari X Prize, now hangs in the National Air & Space Museum. Tim gained national media attention in 2005 when he de- signed a rocket bike by attaching a custom 200-pound-thrust rocket engine to his bicycle, capable of blasting him from 0 to 60 miles an hour in five seconds. He has been featured in CNN Money magazine, Popular Mechanics, The Los Angeles Times, and The New York Times, and on The Daily Show for his hybrid rocket bikes, jet scooters, rocket packs, and other devices that he develops and rides. Tim educates and excites through designing, building, and demonstrating whenever he can. He speaks at space conferences all over the country, sharing his views on commercial space and giving advice to entrepreneurs.


About TEDx
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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