Editing Robert Zubrin (section)

==Career ==
Zubrin was awarded his first patent at age&nbsp;20 in 1972 for [[Three-player chess|Three Player Chess]].<ref>{{Cite patent|number=US3652091A|title=Three player chess board|gdate=1972-03-28|invent1=Zubrin|inventor1-first=Robert|url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US3652091A/en}}</ref>

Zubrin holds a B.A. in [[Mathematics]] from the [[University of Rochester]] (1974); he was a science teacher for 7&nbsp;years before becoming an engineer.<ref name="auto"/> He earned a M.S. in [[Nuclear Engineering]] (1984), a M.S. in [[Aeronautics]] and [[Astronautics]] (1986), and a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering (1992) — all from the [[University of Washington]].<ref name="questnasa">{{cite web |title=Robert Zubrin |publisher=[[NASA]] |url=http://www.quest.nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound/mdrs/bios/zubrin.html |access-date=14 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306002012/http://www.quest.nasa.gov/projects/spacewardbound/mdrs/bios/zubrin.html |archive-date=March 6, 2012 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>{{circular reference|date=October 2019}}<ref>{{cite web |title=Robert Zubrin |publisher=Pioneer Astronautics |url=http://www.pioneerastro.com/Team/rzubrin.html |access-date=14 July 2013 |archive-date=February 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140220015030/http://www.pioneerastro.com/Team/rzubrin.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> He has developed a number of concepts for [[space propulsion]] and exploration, and is the author of over 200&nbsp;technical and non-technical papers and several books. He is also President of both the [[Mars Society]] and Pioneer Astronautics, a private company that does research and development on innovative aerospace technologies. Zubrin is the co-inventor on a U.S. design patent and a U.S. utility patent on a hybrid rocket/airplane, and on a U.S. utility patent on an oxygen supply system (see links below).

Zubrin's inventions include the [[nuclear salt-water rocket]] and co-inventor (with Dana Andrews) of the [[magnetic sail]]. Zubrin is fellow at [[Center for Security Policy]].<ref name="Zubrin 2014">{{cite news |last=Zubrin |first=Robert |date=2014-09-13 |title=Iran is 10&nbsp;months away from the A-bomb |newspaper=[[The Washington Times]] |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/13/iran-is-10-months-away-from-the-a-bomb/ |access-date=2016-03-21 |archive-date=April 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403025549/http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/13/iran-is-10-months-away-from-the-a-bomb/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

During his professional career, Zubrin was a member of [[Lockheed Martin]]'s scenario development team charged with developing strategies for [[space exploration]]. He was also "a senior engineer with the Martin Marietta Astronautics company, working as one of its leaders in development of advanced concepts for interplanetary missions".<ref>{{cite book |last=Zubrin |first=Robert |date=1996 |title=The Case for Mars |publisher=Touchstone}}</ref> During his time at Martin Marietta, he drafted ideas for a potential [[single-stage-to-orbit]] spacecraft, and developed the [[Black Horse (rocket)|Black Colt]]. However, he would eventually leave Martin Marietta to co-form [[Pioneer Rocketplane]] with [[Mitchell Burnside Clapp]], an aerospace engineer from the [[United States Air Force|US Air Force]], due to a perceived lack of interest in reducing launch costs at larger aerospace firms.<ref>{{cite web |title=Pathfinder - Pioneer Rocketplane |website=globalsecurity.org |url=https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/pathfinder.htm |access-date=2021-09-24 |archive-date=August 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824175730/https://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/pathfinder.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In his book, ''Entering Space: Creating a Spacefaring Civilization'', Zubrin would write about how both large aerospace firms, and the [[Federal government of the United States|US Government]], would fail to reduce the costs of spaceflight.

In 1998, Zubrin founded the Mars Society, and in the following years, was able to attract large amounts of public interest to potential human colonisation on Mars. The work of the Mars Society was successful enough as to encourage the US Government to not cut funding for several Mars [[Rover (space exploration)|rover]] missions. {{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hogan |first=Thor |title=Mars Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Space Exploration Initiative |date=August 2007 |publisher=Military Bookshop |isbn=1780393032 |location=Washington D.C. |language=English}}</ref>

===Pioneer Astronautics===
In 1996 Zubrin founded Pioneer Astronautics (formerly Pioneer Invention), a research and development company committed to developing innovative technologies to further space exploration and improve life on earth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Us |url=https://www.pioneerastro.com/about-us/ |access-date=2023-08-09 |website=Pioneer Astronautics |language=en-US}}</ref> The company relied primarily on small business research contracts and tackled a large variety of space-relevant problems.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pioneer Astronautics Research and Development Contract List |url=https://www.pioneerastro.com/research/ |access-date=2023-08-09 |website=Pioneer Astronautics |language=en-US}}</ref>

On 13 July 2020 Voyager Space Holdings announced its acquisition of Pioneer Astronautics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Voyager Space Holdings announces acquisition of Pioneer Astronautics |url=https://spacenews.com/voyager-space-holdings-announces-acquisition-of-pioneer-astronautics |date=2020-07-13 |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=SpaceNews |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Pioneer Energy===
In 2008 Zubrin founded Pioneer Energy, a research and development firm headquartered in [[Lakewood, Colorado]]. The company's focus is to develop mobile [[Enhanced oil recovery|Enhanced Oil Recovery]] (EOR) systems that can enable {{CO2}}-based EOR for both small and large oil producers in the United States. The company has also developed a number of new processes for manufacturing synthetic fuels.<ref>{{cite web |title=Aerospace engineer bets on space tech to cash in on gas flaring |date=2014-09-16 |website=canadianmanufacturing.com |language=en-US |url=http://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/manufacturing/space-tech-monetizes-natural-gas-flaring-140533/ |access-date=2016-09-18 |archive-date=September 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919150143/http://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/manufacturing/space-tech-monetizes-natural-gas-flaring-140533/ |url-status=live }}</ref>