Re: Jim Benson died
Thank you Mark,
I was really striked by the news of the Jim's death (since I didn't know
that he was ill), and, under emotion, I didn't made the proper research
before writing!
You're right: Jim wasn't the inventor of the SS1's hybrid rocket engine.
By David Livingston came another precise statement. The project manager,
who brought the engine to pass the acceptance test and to fly several
times at 100 km altitude, was Tim Pickens, CEO of Orion Propulsion
(Huntsville, Alabama).
Space Dev was the supplier of the engine to ScaledComposites.
Without courageous entrepreneurs which take the risk to setup projects,
finance the activities, make proper development plans, stress the people
to give the due care to testing activities, fight with banks and all
these stuff, inventors alone, though geniuses, will not be enough, to
make things happen.
I think this remain the main legacy of Jim: he had vision enough to bet
his life in an industrial space enterprise well before a real space
industry existed.
It could be that, in the last years of his life, he wanted still to be
useful, but he made some mistakes. Who doesn't make mistakes?
We will love and remember Jim, wathever mistake he could have done.
Adriano Autino
Mark Reiff ha scritto:
Adriano,
Not to take away from Jim's legacy, but he did not invent the hybrid
rocket
engine used to power SpaceShipOne. He bought the hybrid technology
patents from, Bevin McKinney one of
the owners of American Rocket, founded by another commercial space
pioneer who died too soon, George Koopman.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Rocket_Company
Mark Reiff
-----------
Adriano Autino Tecnologie di Frontiera wrote:
As reported by SpaceRef
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=26665 hereafter, Jim
died yesterday at his home. This is an irreparable loss for every
sincere astronauts and for entire humanity. Jim was the inventor of the
SpaceShipOne innovative engine, and leader of a courageous small
enterprise,
diamond edge of the emerging space economy. We remember him when he
was present, with an inspired dedicated video, to the first
convention of Technologies of the Frontier, the April 1st 2006.
Ciao, Jim, we will continue your struggle for a free and peaceful
human development in space!
Adriano Autino
For more information, www.spacedev.com <http://www.spacedev.com>.
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