HE Space celebrates 10 Years in Darmstadt
Fifty years ago, on July 20, 1969, the lander of the Apollo 11 mission touched down on the lunar surface. Ten years ago, on June 10, 2009, HE Space opened an office in Darmstadt and is now celebrating its first decade. But what do these two events have to do with each other? Simply, the experience gained with training Apollo astronauts led directly to the founding of HE Space in Europe. The company specializes in personnel recruitment and human resource management with a sole focus on the space sector. Darmstadt, as a major space hub, was selected in 2009 as one of the branch locations. The HE Space office is located nearby EUMETSAT, ESOC (European Space Operations Centre), and cesah (Centre for Satellite Navigation in Hesse).
Since the opening, Bob Rouse, Managing Director of HE Space in Germany, has headed up the Darmstadt office and is still thrilled: "My job is really all about people. I particularly enjoy accompanying our colleagues and clients in their inspirational space projects and helping new applicants find the right role."
Mike Hernandez and Scott Millican founded HE Space in 1982 in the USA under the name Hernandez Engineering, which is where the abbreviation HE in the company name comes from. Millican, now sole owner, developed procedures for the astronauts of Apollo missions 11 to 17. The Apollo story is therefore also a small piece of HE Space history.
Scott Millican reveals his entrepreneurial formula: "The continuous success is based on high quality and motivation, combined with the consistent professionalism of the HE Space workforce and the comprehensive support that the company offers to its employees and customers". Millican is not the type of man who retires at the age of 78. He still actively participates in the business strategy for the branches in Germany, the Netherlands and the USA.
Across Europe, the company has more than 200 employees, and the number is rising steadily. The anniversary in Darmstadt has been celebrated, but we do not rest on our laurels: "The space business is constantly striving for new achievements - this is reflected in HE Space," says Rouse.