ULA CEO Tory Bruno: US Should Embrace Space Innovation

Tory Bruno, president and CEO of United Launch Alliance, has said the company aims to support U.S. national security efforts and help reduce the country’s dependence on Russian-built engines through missions using the Vulcan Centaur rocket.

He wrote in a guest piece published Wednesday on Space News that it is becoming increasingly important to “act and embrace the urgency to innovate” as other nations continue to advance space-related efforts.

“We look forward to working with the administration and lawmakers in both parties as we pursue the goal of launching America forward in the newest era of the space race,” he noted.

According to Bruno, the company aims to produce rockets to help NASA astronauts return to the moon and deliver cargo needed for agency preparations to launch the Orion spacecraft with the Space Launch System. ULA has finished building the upper stage for the first two SLS missions.

The Trump administration requested an additional $1.6B NASA budget for the next fiscal year.