Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin has appointed Tory Bruno, the former chief executive and president of United Launch Alliance (ULA), as president of its newly formed national security group. The space company announced the appointment in a post on microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter). As president of the new group, Bruno will lead work focused on products, services and technologies for national security missions, according to an internal email from Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp, seen by Bloomberg.In a statement, Limp said Blue Origin and Bruno share a common goal of supporting national security through advanced technology, adding that Bruno’s experience will help the company move faster in this area.The move signals Blue Origin’s growing focus on national security work. The company is one of a small group of US launch providers, along with SpaceX and ULA, that are approved to launch sensitive national security satellites for the US military.Bruno’s departure from ULA was announced on December 22. He led the Boeing and Lockheed Martin joint venture for nearly 12 years. During his time at ULA, Bruno oversaw the retirement of the Delta and Atlas rockets and led the development of the Vulcan rocket. Vulcan faced multiple delays and has had a slow launch schedule since its first flight in January 2024.Blue Origin supplies the BE-4 engines used on Vulcan and also competes directly with ULA through its own New Glenn rocket. Bruno previously worked with Blue Origin in 2014 on the partnership to develop the BE-4 engines.Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket, which is planned for future national security missions, completed its second launch in November. During that mission, the rocket’s main booster landed on a floating platform at sea.Blue Origin is also moving its in-space systems business into the new national security group. The unit’s current head, Paul Ebertz, will report to Bruno. The group includes projects such as Blue Ring, a planned satellite platform, and work on a communications spacecraft designed for orbit around Mars.
