Alphabet’s internet balloon chief leaves after 6 months

Alphabet’s Project Loon is running into some figurative turbulence in addition to the literal kind. Tom Moore, the satellite executive who was brought on as CEO to help Project Loon become a full-fledged business, has left the leadership position after just 6 months. It’s not clear why he’s on the way out (neither he nor Alphabet are commenting), but he’s being replaced by Alastair Westgarth, a wireless industry veteran best known for turning startups into viable companies. His “vision” for the internet balloon project matches the strategy of Alphabet’s X division, “approaching huge programs, at scale, to improve the lives of millions or billions of people,” the company says.