Photos: Atlas 5 rolls out for launch

The announcement was made by Robert Lightfoot, the ULA Lockheed Martin Board Chair, in a statement on Monday. The board now begins a search for his permanent replacement.

The International Space Station’s oldest sections launched nearly 17 years ago, and with the huge orbiting research complex now well into its operational life as a microgravity science lab, prime contractor Boeing’s job is keeping the outpost going, according to Mark Mulqueen, who manages the aerospace company’s space station program.

A massive U.S. Navy satellite to launch from Cape Canaveral in January has arrived in Florida, kicking off a campaign to ready the mobile communications craft for flight.