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ULA names Mark Peller as chief executive
United Launch Alliance named Mark Peller, its chief operating officer, as president and CEO, effective 17 August 2026. Peller has been at ULA since its formation in 2006 and led development of the Vulcan rocket; he replaces interim CEO John Elbon, who has run the company since December 2025 and retires at the end of the year.
- Peller oversaw the Atlas and Vulcan programs as COO and was earlier chief engineer for Delta II and Delta IV.
- He started in 1990 at Rockwell as a Space Shuttle propulsion engineer, then moved to Boeing's Delta program in 1996.
- ULA is a Lockheed Martin and Boeing joint venture; board chair Robert Lightfoot cited unprecedented demand for launches.
- The stated priority is using Vulcan for national-security and exploration missions.