FYI,

"SpaceDev Founder Jim Benson Dies"
SpaceRef
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=26665

: SpaceDev, Inc. announced today that SpaceDev Founder and Board
: Member James Benson, 63, died peacefully in his home. Benson was
: diagnosed in 2007 with a glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor, the
: cause of his death early this morning. Mr. Benson had resigned from
: an operational role in SpaceDev in September 2006. He retained a
: seat on the Board of Directors of SpaceDev where he had continued
: to support the Company that he founded in 1997.

: "Jim was a true visionary," said Mark Sirangelo, SpaceDev's CEO and
: Chairman of the Board. "He saw that space exploration could be more
: effective if done commercially, and formed SpaceDev to make that
: dream become a reality. He will be missed by many but his legacy
: contained in SpaceDev will continue to forward his vision for the
: commercialization of space. On behalf of the employees, board and
: shareholders of SpaceDev we would like to express our condolences
: to the Benson family."

: Prior to founding SpaceDev, Mr. 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. Mr. 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.

: After his successful career as a computer industry entrepreneur,
: Mr. Benson decided to take on the challenge of starting an
: innovative space commercialization venture because it combined his
: lifelong interests in science, technology and astronomy with his
: successful business experience. SpaceDev was the result.

: In addition to his roles in SpaceDev and Benson Space, Benson had
: been a member of the Board of Directors of the California Space
: Authority. He founded the non-profit Space Development Institute,
: and introduced the Benson Prize for Amateur Discovery of Near Earth
: Objects.

: Mr. Benson Received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from
: the University of Missouri in Kansas City, his home town.

: He is survived by his wife Susan, 3 children and 4 grandchildren.
: The family is planning a memorial service later in the year.

"Jim Benson Has Died"
Michael Belfiore
http://michaelbelfiore.com/blog/2008/10/jim-benson-has-died.html

"Jim Benson, RIP"
Personal Spaceflight
http://www.personalspaceflight.info/2008/10/10/jim-benson-rip/

"SpaceDev Founder Jim Benson Dies at 63"
Space.com
http://www.space.com/news/081010-jimbenson-obit.html

Mark Reiff