James William Benson (1945 - October 10, 2008) was the founder of Spacedev, a commercial satellite and satellite component development company, and Benson Space Company, a civilian spaceflight venture focused on commercial space tourism.
Biography
Benson spent thirty years associated with the computer field, spanning the era from the introduction of modern mainframe computers, to the dominance of the computer industry by microcomputers. Benson invented modern full text computer indexing and searching in 1984, and exploited the new field through companies he founded: Compusearch and ImageFast of McLean, Virginia.
Jim Benson is a founding member of the Personal Spaceflight Federation. Benson was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the California Space Authority, was named one of the "50 People to Watch in 2005" by San Diego magazine, and was named "Alumnus of the Year" by the University of Missouri at Kansas City. He founded the non-profit Space Development Institute, and introduced the Benson Prize for Amateur Discovery of Near Earth Objects. He is Vice-Chairman and private sector representative on NASA's national Space Grant Review Panel. Benson received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, in his home town.
paceDev
After a successful career as a computer industry entrepreneur, Mr. Benson decided to take on the challenge of starting a space commercialization venture. It combined his lifelong interests in science, technology and astronomy with his successful business experience.
Jim Benson started the trend of successful high tech entrepreneurs moving into the space development arena, by incorporating SpaceDev, Inc. as a publicly owned space exploration and development company in 1997.
Jim Benson and SpaceDev worked to develop the world's first private sector enterprise to profitably explore and develop space beyond earth orbit. SpaceDev's mission is to help "make space happen" for all of humanity, through the development of a comprehensive private space program, by delivering affordable and practical space technologies, products and solutions to SpaceDev's government and commercial customers, while creating value for SpaceDev stockholders.
SpaceDev aquired the former Integrated Space Systems, a space systems engineering firm, in 1998.[ [http://www.secinfo.com/dV3p8.4dj.htm SpaceDev SEC form 10KSB, 2000] ] ]SpaceDev aquired the intellectual property of American Rocket Company in 1999 after AMROC's 1996 bankrupcy. The AMROC-derived hybrid rocket motors were used in several SpaceDev projects that followed.
SpaceDev started developing the science mission CHIPSat for the University of California, Berkeley in 1999. The spacecraft flew in 2003 and was still in service 4 years later.
In 2004, SpaceDev's hybrid rocket motors were used by Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne to win the $10 million Ansari X Prize. In 2003, SpaceDev launched the United States' smallest, low-cost, high performance satellite named CHIPSat for NASA. CHIPSat is a suitcase-size science microsatellite that is also the first U.S. mission to use only TCP/IP Internet communications for end-to-end satellite operations control, becoming the first satellite whose mission control and operations center is any laptop computer located anywhere in the world.
During his 10 years with the company, Benson served as founder, chairman, chief executive officer and chief technology officer of SpaceDev. He stepped down on September 28, 2006 to announce that he was starting a new venture called Benson Space Company. [cite news|url=http://www.spacedev.com/newsite/templates/subpage_article.php?pid=583|title=SpaceDev Announces Founder James Benson Steps Down as Chairman and CTO; Benson Starts Independent Space Company to Market SpaceDev’s Dream Chaser|publisher=SpaceDev|date=September 28, 2006]
Benson Space Company
Jim Benson announced on September 28, 2006 that he had launched an ambitious new venture focused on commercial space tourism, Benson Space Company.
Benson Space intends to be first to market in the emerging multi-billion dollar space tourism or personal spaceflight industry, with the safest and lowest cost astronaut-making suborbital missions.
"I am dedicated to opening space for all of humanity and, with SpaceDev well-managed and growing, I plan to spend the next several years creating the possibility that anyone who wants to go to space will be able to, safely and affordably," said Benson. SpaceDev owns many of the patents and intellectual property rights associated with hybrid rocket motors used for safe human spaceflight. Under Benson's guidance, SpaceDev developed critical hybrid rocket motor technology and furnished all of the rocket motors for Paul Allen's SpaceShipOne, the craft that earned the $10 million Ansari X Prize in 2004.
Benson Space has completed its first round of financing and submitted a request for proposal to [SpaceDev for the design and development of its SpaceDev Dream Chaser spaceships. BSC expects to be one of SpaceDev's largest customers, purchasing multiple spaceships and safe hybrid rocket motors for use in personal spaceflight.
Death
SpaceDev announced on October 10, 2008, that James Benson had passed away earlier that day. He had been diagnosed with Glioblastoma multiforme, a type of brain tumor, in 2007. [ [http://www.spacedev.com/press_more_info.php?id=285 SpaceDev Founder Jim Benson Dies] , SpaceDev, October 10, 2008]
References
External links
* [http://www.spacedev.com/board_mem_desc.php?id=1 Personal bio] at SpaceDev's website
* [http://www.bensonspace.com/ Benson Space Company website] bensonspace.com
