Tony Bruno, the CEO of United Launch Alliance, has suddenly stepped down from his position after more than a decade at the helm of the company. The company is the primary competitor to Elon Musk’s SpaceX for launching government payloads into space.
Ars Technica reports that Tory Bruno, the veteran engineer and aerospace industry executive who has led United Launch Alliance (ULA) since 2014, has resigned from his position as president and CEO, the company announced on Monday. The unexpected news comes as ULA faces increasing competition from rival SpaceX, which has been steadily gaining market share in the US government launch contracts sector.
During his tenure, Bruno oversaw the development and successful debut of ULA’s Vulcan rocket, as well as the phaseout of the company’s legacy Atlas and Delta launch vehicles. He also made the critical decision to select Blue Origin’s BE-4 engines to power the Vulcan rocket, a move that has proven to be a success despite initial skepticism.
However, ULA has struggled to maintain its position as the leading provider of launch services in the face of SpaceX’s partially reusable Falcon 9 rocket. The company’s decision to make the Vulcan rocket fully expendable, with only long-term plans for recovering and reusing the main engines, has put it at a competitive disadvantage.
Furthermore, the entry of the Vulcan rocket into service has been slower than anticipated. Despite receiving certification from the US Space Force to carry national security satellites into orbit, the rocket has only flown once this year, falling well short of Bruno’s goal of up to 10 launches.
The retirement of the Atlas V and Delta IV rockets has also led to a period of downsizing for ULA, with layoffs and facility closures across several states. In a further blow to the company, SpaceX won a majority of US military launch contracts for the first time last year.
ULA, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, has faced internal challenges as well. The company’s owners have been slow to approve funding for the development of the Vulcan rocket and an advanced upper stage that could have become a key component of an innovative in-space transport and refueling infrastructure. There have also been rumors of a potential sale of ULA by its parent companies, though no concrete developments have materialized.
In a statement, the co-chairs of ULA’s board, Robert Lightfoot of Lockheed Martin and Kay Sears of Boeing, did not provide a specific reason for Bruno’s resignation, only stating that he is stepping down “to pursue another opportunity.” John Elbon, ULA’s chief operating officer, will serve as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent replacement.
Read more at Ars Technica here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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