
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
Comet Lemmon and Milky Way spotted over Hawaii | Space photo of the day for Dec. 12, 2025 - 2
Step by step instructions to Choose the Right Internet based Degree Program for Your Future - 3
Nuno Loureiro, MIT physicist, fatally shot at home; police investigate - 4
Building a Maintainable Closet: Individual Excursions in Moral Style - 5
Courageous Climbing: Trails and Stuff for Outside Lovers
Argentina reportedly delaying embassy move over Israeli company's oil project near Falklands
Getting through a Lifelong Change: Individual Examples of overcoming adversity
It's your last chance to subscribe to Paramount+ before they raise their prices: Here's how to lock in current pricing
Islamic State group militants claim capture and execution of a Nigerian brigadier general
NASA astronauts to return from space early due to an 'unexpected medical issue.' What happened — and when are they coming home?
Several Israelis attempt to cross into Gaza, escorted back to Israel by IDF
Step by step instructions to Deal with Your Time While Chasing after an Internet based Degree
Figure out How to Get the Most Familiar Drive for Seniors in SUVs
2023's Best 10 Cell phone Advancements You Can't Miss












