BURSTHans Koenigsmann is one of SpaceX's earliest, longest-tenured, and most-revered employees.
When Elon Musk started the company in 2002, he was joined by two other "founding" employees, Tom Mueller in propulsion and Chris Thompson in structures. Koenigsmann was the next hire, brought on to develop avionics for the Falcon 1 rocket.
Koenigsmann remained at the company for two decades before leaving SpaceX in late 2021. During that time, he transitioned from avionics to lead mission assurance and safety while also spearheading every major failure investigation of the Falcon 9 rocket. He was a beloved leader and mentor for his employees within the company's demanding culture.