
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
This Huge Ocean Beast Shifts Sharks’ Evolutionary Timeline - 2
Israel's ban on unsupervised reporters in Gaza causes strategic harm to legitimacy - 3
Step by step instructions to Pick the Right Web-based Degree Program - 4
Aspirin can prevent a serious pregnancy complication — but too few women get it, new report suggests - 5
Flu cases are spiking earlier than usual. What you need to know.
Top notch Remote Earphones for Audiophiles
Exposure to neighborhood violence leads some Denver teens to use tobacco and alcohol earlier, new study shows
Historic underwater structure discovered by divers off French coast
I traveled to 13 countries in 2025. This small island nation surprised me the most.
Find the Mysteries of Powerful Using time productively: Augmenting Efficiency and Proficiency
French and Malaysian authorities are investigating Grok for generating sexualized deepfakes
Ten Awesome Authentic Realities That Will Leave You Interested
Doctors looking into hormone therapy as a way to ward off dementia in women
Judge sets $60K bond for Florida congresswoman accused of stealing $5M in COVID-19 funds













