Interview with Hans Koenigsmann: From SpaceX’s First Engineer to Shaping the Future of Commercial Spaceflight

From Germany to the Final Frontier

When Dr. Hans Koenigsmann first dreamed of flying, he didn’t imagine he’d help humanity reach orbit. Born near Frankfurt, Germany, Koenigsmann’s original goal was to become a pilot — until eyesight limitations redirected his ambitions from the cockpit to the drawing board. “I wanted to become a pilot first,” he said, “but my eyesight wasn’t good enough, so I became an engineer instead.”

That pivot led him to study aerospace engineering in Berlin, where a friend introduced him to the world of satellites. It was the spark that launched his career into space. After helping design a university-built satellite that flew on the Space Shuttle in 1993, Koenigsmann accepted a U.S. work visa and moved across the Atlantic — the start of a journey that would eventually make him one of SpaceX’s first four employees.

Joining SpaceX Before It Was SpaceX

In 2002, Koenigsmann met Elon Musk at an amateur rocketry event in California. “We just shook hands and talked a little,” he recalled. “Then later, two other people told me that Elon had mentioned me — and one day, he called and asked if I wanted to join this company called Space Exploration, or SpaceX for short.”

At the time, there were only three others: Elon Musk, propulsion lead Tom Mueller, and structural engineer Chris Thompson. “I was basically responsible for everything else — avionics, guidance and control, flight safety, and software,” Koenigsmann said.

Together, the small team built Falcon 1, SpaceX’s first rocket. “It was pretty wild,” he laughed. “Eventually it flew — and then we built Falcon 9, and then Dragon.” Over nearly two decades, Koenigsmann rose to become Vice President of Build and Flight Reliability, overseeing launches that would define commercial spaceflight.

Startup Chaos and Space Discipline

When asked how working at SpaceX differed from traditional aerospace giants, Koenigsmann was candid: “I don’t really know — I never worked for the big ones. I always worked for small companies and startup teams.”

But he acknowledged that early SpaceX lacked the structure of a mature organization. “There were no processes — it was up to you to decide how to do things. Over time, we learned. We built rules for handling hardware, failures, and safety. That maturity only comes with time.”

His reflection captures what made SpaceX different: a willingness to learn fast, take risks, and iterate relentlessly. “You’re making it up along the way — but trying to be reasonable,” he said.

Propulsion: The King of Rocketry

When asked which technologies are most underinvested, Koenigsmann didn’t hesitate. “Rockets are more than half propulsion,” he said. “Propulsion rules the whole field — it’s what costs the money.”

He sees avionics and software as vital but flexible: “You can use a bigger, less fancy computer, or a small fancy one — both can work. What matters is reliability and weight. But propulsion is king. Structures are the queen. Everything else is how you make the system work together.”

Europe vs. America: Two Aerospace Cultures

Koenigsmann’s experience spans both continents, giving him a unique perspective on what separates U.S. aerospace from Europe’s. “People in Europe are very well educated,” he said. “The colleges are great, the engineers are excellent. But they generally work less — around 36 or 37 hours a week — and the system emphasizes work-life balance.”

He smiled when contrasting that with his own approach: “I guess my balance was more toward work. But I loved it — my work was fun, so life and work blended together.”

What It Takes to Scale a Space Company

Reflecting on SpaceX’s growth from four employees to thousands, Koenigsmann said there was no secret formula — just focus and mission clarity. “Elon can be very inspiring when he talks about Mars and humanity as an interplanetary species. That mission brings people together.”

He credits transparency and urgency as essential ingredients for success. “The more transparent the communication, the better. It doesn’t always have to be positive — sometimes it’s, ‘If we don’t make this, the company is dead.’ But everyone understands the stakes.”

He also emphasized scaling holistically — not just engineering. “You need business development, product focus, human resources — everything growing in parallel. That’s hard to do, but it’s what makes a company last.”

What He Looks for in the Next Generation of Space Startups

Today, Koenigsmann advises multiple aerospace ventures, including OHB, AstroForge, Vast Space, and Stoke Space. When choosing who to work with, one quality stands out: focus.

“I look for urgency,” he said. “How driven are they? Do they understand that this phase is about focusing on the product and getting it done?”

He has a simple test. “When I visit a company, I ask people, ‘When’s your first launch?’ I don’t care if it’s the real date — I just want to see if everyone knows the goal. That tells you if they’re aligned.”

The Future: Communication, Space Travel, and Microgravity Manufacturing

Looking ahead, Koenigsmann sees communications and space logistics as the most promising markets. “Communication is still the killer app,” he said. “Everyone on Earth needs it.”

He’s also optimistic about private space stations and microgravity manufacturing. “We’ll always need space stations — for research, human health, and production. Some pharmaceuticals and crystals grow better in microgravity. There are uses we haven’t even thought of yet.”

If He Started Over

Asked what he’d tell his younger self, Koenigsmann paused. “I’d be a little braver,” he said. “I was slow — I started SpaceX at 39. I would’ve started something earlier if I’d been more focused.”

But he doesn’t regret the journey. “College is about learning to learn — becoming a problem solver. That’s the key skill.”

His Message to the Next Generation

His advice to aspiring engineers and entrepreneurs is timeless: follow your curiosity, not the market.

“You shouldn’t pick your path by where the money is,” he said. “Go by what excites you — what challenges you. If you do something you’re good at and passionate about, you’ll be happier — and probably more successful.”

Closing Thoughts

From calibrating instruments in a hangar to helping SpaceX reach orbit, Hans Koenigsmann’s journey reflects the heart of aerospace engineering — perseverance, focus, and vision. His legacy isn’t just in rockets that return to Earth, but in the mindset he helped shape across an entire generation of engineers: to build boldly, communicate clearly, and never stop solving hard problems.