
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
Venezuelan President Maduro arrives in New York following U.S. capture: Full coverage - 2
Reports: Germany plans expansion of foreign intelligence powers - 3
Cannabis reclassification could 'open the floodgates' for research, scientists say - 4
IDF destroys Hamas shaft in northern Gaza with loaded 'ready to fire' rocket aimed at Sderot - 5
CDC vaccine panel delays vote to stop recommending hepatitis B shot at birth
How a Middle East War Becomes a Retail Price Hike
Early diagnosis leads King Charles to scale back cancer treatment in the new year
Why the UAE has incurred the wrath of Somalia
Advocacy groups react after Mattel introduces 1st Barbie doll with autism
New portrait of the oldest-known supernova | Space photo of the day for March 27, 2026
Extreme Manual for Purchasing Your Next Truck
Artemis II's moon-bound astronauts capture Earth's brilliant blue beauty as they leave it behind
Email Promoting Instruments for Compelling Efforts
A trip to Colombia in my 20s turned into 8 years freelancing in South America. Here's what I'd do differently.













