United Launch Alliance (ULA) is facing the challenge of rebuilding its launch cadence following the departure of its long-time CEO, Tory Bruno. Bruno's exit has left a void, but ULA remains committed to its core mission: increasing the launch rate of its new Vulcan rocket, which has faced delays in the past. Despite the disruption, ULA's strength lies in its 3,000 talented individuals who design, build, and launch rockets, as emphasized by interim CEO John Elbon. The company is now focused on translating Vulcan's entry into service into a predictable launch cadence, with a backlog of approximately 80 missions across military and commercial customers.
The near-term challenge is to achieve a reliable and sustainable increased launch rate. ULA has reduced its projected launches for 2025 to fewer than 10 missions, reflecting a slower-than-expected transition from Atlas V to Vulcan. This slowdown has prompted the U.S. Space Force to reassign three GPS satellite launches to SpaceX, underscoring the pressure on ULA to demonstrate consistent performance. However, ULA is targeting 18 to 22 launches in 2026, including four Atlas missions and 16 to 18 Vulcan flights, with major infrastructure upgrades at its East Coast launch site.
On the West Coast, ULA is nearing completion of Vulcan's launch complex at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, with the first Vulcan launch expected in the second quarter of 2026. ULA's relationship with government customers remains intact, and the company is confident in its ability to execute the missions required by the Space Force this year. As ULA moves into its next phase, it will be sorting out the specific path forward, with both Boeing and Lockheed Martin expressing support for the company's future growth in the space sector.
