
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
After nearly 12 years leading the United Launch Alliance (ULA), its chief Tory Bruno is stepping down from the U.S. rocket launch provider to pursue "another opportunity," the company announced this week.
What's that new opportunity? We're not sure yet, but it's guaranteed to be "Something interesting," Bruno wrote on social media after the Dec. 22 announcement.
Bruno took the reigns as ULA president and CEO in August 2014, overseeing the company, a collaboration between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, as it launched its Atlas V rockets and retired its Delta rocket family. He oversaw the development of new booster, the Vulcan Centaur rocket, which ULA plans to use as a workhorse vehicle.
During Bruno's term, ULA fought to contend with launch competitor SpaceX, which successfully landed a Falcon 9 booster for the first time in 2015 to lower costs through reusability. SpaceX now regularly launches and lands Falcon 9 rockets and has flown over 160 times this year. ULA eventually hopes to recover and reuse only part of the Vulcan rocket, its BE-4 first stage engines built by Blue Origin.
"It has been a great privilege to lead ULA through its transformation and to bring Vulcan into service. My work here is now complete and I will be cheering ULA on," Bruno wrote on X.
"Finished the mission I came to do," he added. "Great people. Great rocket. New things coming."
In a statement, Robert Lightfoot and Kay Sears, the ULA board chairs for Lockheed Martin and Boeing, respectively, thanked Bruno for over a decade of service.
"We are grateful for Tory’s service to ULA and the country, and we thank him for his leadership," Lightfoot and Sears wrote in the statement.
ULA's board has appointed Boeing veteran John Elbon as interim CEO as the search for a new leader begins.
"We have the greatest confidence in John to continue strengthening ULA’s momentum while the board proceeds with finding the next leader of ULA," Lihtfoot and Sears wrote.
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Flu season is ramping up, and some experts are "pretty worried" - 2
Figuring out the Justification for Separation: To blame and No-Shortcoming - 3
Italian police hold suspected boss of Naples Mafia's Mazzarella Clan - 4
A definitive Manual for Well known Fragrances - 5
Chinese mega embassy could bring security advantages, says No 10
Flu illness count nears 5 million, with New York City among the hardest hit
6 Asian Urban areas to Visit
The Most Well known Online Entertainment Forces to be reckoned with of 2023
Emergency services search for five people last seen in missing Jeep
IDF destroys two-kilometer-long Gaza terror tunnel in Beit Lahiya
Europe pledges over €15bn for clean energy for Africa
What to watch for in weight loss drugs in 2026
ABC News' Sam Champion opens up about recent health scare
Iranian naval commander Alireza Tangsiri killed in attack, says Israel













