Let the voting begin!
United Launch Alliance next generation rocket will take more than 70 percent of U.S. military, NASA and scientific exploration missions to space in the coming .
Monday morning Centennial-based ULA released three choices for the new rockets’ name — Eagle, Freedom or GalaxyOne — and opened voting at
Votes will be accepted through April 6 and the winning name will be announced April 13, along with specifics about the design and components of the next-gen rocket.
“ULA’s new rocket represents the future of space – innovative, affordable and reliable,” ULA president and CEO Tory Bruno said in a news release. “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.”
The rocket’s first flight is expected in 2019. ULA manufactures its rockets in Decatur, Ala. and Harlingen, Texas
The top-three names were selected from more than 400 submitted by space enthusiasts and 3,400 ULA employees earlier this year. About 1,500 ULA employees work in Colorado.
ULA has completed 94 launches successfully, including every GPS satellite in orbit today — 57 — as well as major space exploration missions for NASA, such as the Mars rovers and Pluto/New Horizons, the company said in a release.
