A new civilian spaceflight venture has entered the space tourism scene – Benson Space Company (BSC).

The upstart company is being launched by Jim Benson, the man who founded SpaceDev of Poway, California. Benson announced yesterday that he has stepped down as chairman and chief technology officer of SpaceDev to shape BSC.

SpaceDev was not a winner in the recent NASA COTS sweepstakes to establish a commercial crew and cargo transportation link to the International Space Station. SpaceDev’s proposal was to reenergize an old NASA piloted space plane concept – the HL-20 lifting body design, dubbing it Dream Chaser.

Benson explained in a press statement that he has completed BSC’s 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, Benson explained, purchasing multiple spaceships, as well as safe hybrid rocket motors for use in personal spaceflight.

Benson Space Company is incorporated in the state of Nevada. 

For more detail on the Dream Chaser idea, go to:
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/060623_dreamchaser_cots.html