Hires Retired Shuttle Astronaut As Chief Test Pilot

After spinning off from the company he founded, SpaceDev, in September to start Benson Space Company, Jim Benson wasted little time getting down to business. BSC recently hired retired NASA space shuttle astronaut and decorated Naval pilot Robert "Hoot" Gibson as COO and chief test pilot -- and this week, the company agreed to manage Phase I development of the SpaceDev Dream Chaser spaceship.

Representatives with BSC say the agreement marks a significant milestone, that advances BSC toward the launching pad and promises to shepherd in the era of personal spaceflight.

"It's official -- we've begun our countdown to what I expect will be BSC's first suborbital flights by the end of 2008," said Benson, who until recently served as chairman and CTO of SpaceDev. "BSC is on schedule to win this historic race to space."

The initial development of Phase I is a five-month project that will result in a critical design review and approval process for the suborbital Dream Chaser spaceship, which is based NASA's design of the HL-20 Personnel Launch System.

Upon completion of Phase I, the Dream Chaser and its rocket motors will be ready for fabrication, to be followed by months of rigorous testing, including ground firings of the rocket motors, glide tests of the Dream Chaser and, finally, powered Dream Chaser flights.

"We look forward to undertaking this exciting project with Jim, and to completing this first-phase contract in March 2007," said Mark N. Sirangelo, chairman and CEO of SpaceDev. "We are confident that we can assist Jim Benson and BSC to routinely take civilians to space, and we are proud to provide the technical know-how and products to make that a reality."

Benson Space Company (BSC) seeks to provide the first, safest and lowest cost astronaut-making spaceflights for the emerging personal spaceflight market. BSC is led by Jim Benson, founder and former chairman/CEO/CTO of SpaceDev, which developed the world's only hybrid rocket motors used for human spaceflight.

FMI: www.bensonspace.com