posted 03-04-2015 04:44 PM               

ULA employees from across the United States have submitted nearly 300 names. Those names will be winnowed down to a list of finalists for an online vote ULA will open to the public later this month.

Tory Bruno, ULA's president and chief executive, told SpaceNews in a March 2 interview here that he intends to unveil the winning name — along with more details about the rocket the Denver company currently calls the Next Generation Launch System — at the 31st Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the week of April 13.

posted 03-23-2015 10:30 AM               

United Launch Alliance Unveils Campaign to Name Country's Next Rocket

New rocket, Eagle, Freedom or GalaxyOne will provide over 70% of the Nation's Launches Supporting our Military, NASA and Scientific Exploration

United Launch Alliance (ULA) is asking America to help name its next rocket, calling on citizens to play a role in the future of space launch by voting for the name of the new rocket that will be responsible for the majority of the nation's future space launches.

For the next two weeks, the public can vote for its favorite rocket name – Eagle, Freedom or GalaxyOne — with the results being announced on April 13 along with the design and components of ULA's innovative, next-generation rocket. The top three names were selected from more than 400 names submitted by ULA's 3,400 employees and space enthusiasts earlier this year. ULA employees – rocket scientists, engineers and patriots — will design and build this rocket with the first flight expected in 2019.

"ULA's new rocket represents the future of space – innovative, affordable and reliable," said Tory Bruno, ULA's president and CEO. "More possibilities in space means more possibilities here on earth. This is such a critical time for space travel and exploration and we're excited to bring all of America with us on this journey into the future."

As the nation's premier launch provider, ULA is responsible for safely and reliably launching America's top priorities into space. The company has consistently delivered 100 percent mission success for 94 launches, and is currently at a tempo of roughly one launch per month. ULA also has launched every GPS on orbit today, all 57 of them, as well as major space exploration missions for NASA such as the Mars rovers and Pluto/New Horizons.

"Space launch affects everyone, every day, and our goal in letting America name its next rocket is to help all Americans imagine the future of endless possibilities created by affordable space launch," Bruno added.

In order to vote for America's next rocket, voters can visit the website from March 23 to April 6.

Voters can also text 22333 to submit a vote for their favorite name. The following key can be used to text a vote (text and data rates may apply):

• ULA1 for "Eagle"
  
• ULA2 for "Freedom"
  
• ULA3 for "GalaxyOne"

ULA is headquartered in Centennial, Colorado, with launch facilities at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. ULA builds and manufactures its rockets in Decatur, Alabama and Harlingen, Texas.

posted 03-26-2015 07:18 AM               

50,000 votes so far, and many cool write-ins so good, I have to include. Adding two more to the list.

posted 03-26-2015 02:02 PM               

Internal voting underway on those that cleared legal: Avalon, Excalibur, Helios, Hyperion, Odin, Omega, Paladin, Prodigy, Vulcan, Zeus.

Zeus and Vulcan in the lead. Helios and Odin vying for a distant third.

posted 03-26-2015 05:53 PM               

The results are in! Zeus and Vulcan have been added to the list. Name our next rocket. Vote early, vote often.

posted 03-30-2015 12:21 PM               

Vulcan leading, with Zeus and GalaxyOne vying for second.

posted 04-06-2015 01:39 PM               

The results are in! Well over a million votes to name America's next rocket. I'll unveil next week at the Space Symposium. Stay tuned.

posted 04-13-2015 10:12 PM               

Hours after unveiling its next-generation "Vulcan" rocket, the company that launches most of America's satellites, United Launch Alliance, ran into its first problem – the rocket's name.

"Vulcan is a trademark of Vulcan Inc. and we have informed ULA of our trademark rights," Chuck Beames, president of the Paul Allen-backed Vulcan Aerospace told Reuters.

"Paul Allen and Vulcan were early leaders within space exploration with the launch of SpaceShipOne more than a decade ago. We are flattered by ULA's tribute to our legacy by naming their new rocket 'Vulcan,'" Beames added.

posted 04-14-2015 09:05 AM               

Paul Allen is a great entrepreneur and aviation pioneer. I am confident and committed that we will avoid any product confusion.

posted 04-14-2015 11:43 AM            

Internal voting underway on those that cleared legal: Avalon, Excalibur, Helios, Hyperion, Odin, Omega, Paladin, Prodigy, Vulcan, Zeus.