WASHINGTON \u2014 Executives at United Launch Alliance said the departure of longtime chief executive Tory Bruno has had an impact on the company, but insisted it has not altered ULA\u2019s ability to deliver on its central task: increasing the launch rate of its new Vulcan rocket after years of delays.<\/p>\n
Speaking with reporters Feb. 10, interim chief executive John Elbon acknowledged the disruption that follows the exit of a leader who had run the company for more than a decade. Bruno led ULA for 12 years<\/a> and was closely associated with the development of Vulcan Centaur to replace the company\u2019s legacy Atlas and Delta rockets.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough leadership is certainly important, ULA\u2019s strength is really in its 3,000 people that design the rockets, build the rockets in Decatur [Alabama] and launch the rockets at the Cape and Vandenberg,\u201d Elbon said.<\/p>\n Elbon, a former Boeing executive, said he had planned to retire from ULA before being asked to serve as interim CEO. A formal search for a permanent chief executive is now underway, he said. ULA is jointly owned by Boeing and Lockheed Martin.<\/p>\n The company\u2019s near-term challenge is translating Vulcan\u2019s entry into service into a predictable launch cadence. The rocket has flown three times since its debut in January 2024, including two missions required to certify the vehicle for national security launches.<\/p>\n Vulcan\u2019s fourth launch, the USSF-87 mission for the U.S. Space Force, is scheduled for Feb. 12.<\/p>\n Elbon said ULA\u2019s top priority is achieving a \u201creliable and sustainable increased launch rate.\u201d That goal has proven difficult as the company sharply reduced its projected launches<\/a> for 2025 to fewer than 10 missions, less than half of its earlier target of 20. The shortfall reflects a slower-than-expected transition from Atlas V to Vulcan following a second-flight anomaly, as well as the complexity of bringing a new launch system into routine operations.<\/p>\n