#40: The Secret to SpaceX’s Success: Insights from Their Fourth Hire (feat. Hans Koenigsmann)

Before SpaceX was SpaceX—before reusable rockets landed on drone ships or astronauts flew aboard privately built spacecraft—it was just an idea. And Hans Koenigsmann was there when that idea took shape.

Interviewed by Elon Musk in his living room and brought on as SpaceX’s fourth technical hire, Hans was a cornerstone of the team that turned an audacious dream into a company that now dominates the launch industry. From assembling avionics systems with a credit card budget to solving the mysteries of rocket anomalies, Hans’s fingerprints are all over the milestones that redefined space exploration.

In this episode, he takes us back to the scrappy, electric early days of SpaceX, where desks were doors and failures were inevitable—but never final. He shares how his German engineering roots collided with California’s startup chaos, the art of managing risk when lives and millions of dollars are on the line, and what it feels like to lead through moments of triumph and catastrophe.

We also dive into the future of space: how Starship could reshape the entire industry, why reusability isn’t just economical but essential, and where Europe fits into this rapidly shifting landscape.

Hans is candid, insightful, and brimming with hard-won wisdom—this is a conversation you’ll want to sit down for.

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https://x.com/HansKoenigsmann

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