SANTA FE, N.M. \u2014 Tory Bruno, who recently stepped down as chief executive of United Launch Alliance, is joining Blue Origin as head of the company\u2019s new national security business unit.<\/p>\n
Blue Origin announced<\/a> Dec. 26 on social media that it hired Bruno as president of national security, reporting to Chief Executive Dave Limp. Bruno \u201cwill spearhead our newly formed National Security Group,\u201d the company said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe share a deep belief in supporting our nation with the best technology we can build,\u201d Limp said in his own post<\/a> announcing the hire. \u201cTory brings unmatched experience, and I\u2019m confident he\u2019ll accelerate our ability to deliver on that mission.\u201d<\/p>\n The announcement came four days after ULA said Bruno had resigned to pursue another, unspecified opportunity<\/a>. Bruno had served as ULA\u2019s chief executive since 2014, and his departure surprised many in the industry.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are going to bring important, innovative and urgently needed capabilities to our nation. Can\u2019t wait to get started,\u201d Bruno wrote<\/a> in response to Limp\u2019s post.<\/p>\n Bruno joins a company that has been both a partner and a competitor to ULA. Shortly after becoming ULA\u2019s chief executive in 2014, he announced an agreement with Blue Origin to purchase the company\u2019s BE-4 engine for ULA\u2019s next-generation launch vehicle, later named Vulcan.<\/p>\n The two companies have since become competitors in the launch market. In 2022, both companies, along with Arianespace, shared what was then described as the largest commercial launch order in history from Amazon<\/a> for its broadband constellation, now known as Amazon Leo. ULA won a contract for 38 Vulcan launches, while Blue Origin received a contract for 12 New Glenn launches, with an option for 15 more.<\/p>\n Both companies have also competed for national security launch contracts. In April, the U.S. Space Force awarded $13.7 billion in launch contracts under its National Security Space Launch Phase 3 Lane 2 procurement<\/a>. Blue Origin won awards for seven New Glenn launches and ULA for 19 Vulcan launches; both trailed SpaceX, which won 28 launches.<\/p>\n Blue Origin has increasingly focused on national security business. In addition to its New Glenn launch vehicle, the company has received funding from the Defense Innovation Unit to support work on Blue Ring<\/a>, its spacecraft platform designed to host large payloads and perform highly maneuverable missions. The company sees potential national security applications for Blue Ring amid military interest in \u201cdynamic space operations,\u201d in which spacecraft maneuver freely to carry out missions or avoid potential threats.<\/p>\n Bruno did not outline specific plans or priorities for national security work at Blue Origin but suggested he saw a new opportunity after completing the goals he set for himself at ULA.<\/p>\n