ULA is offering the public the opportunity to select the name of the company’s Next Generation Launch System (NGLS) rocket. Out of more than 300 names suggested by ULA employees, three finalists will be announced today at 9:30 am. The public will get to vote on their favorite until April 6.
(UPDATE: The three name choices are: Eagle, Freedom and GalaxyOne. The public may cast votes here https://www.polleverywhere.com/voteula)
“We decided that since this is America’s next ride to space, we ought to let America name it,” ULA CEO Tory Bruno said in an interview last month.
Details, and presumably the name, of the new launch vehicle will be announced by Mr. Bruno at the Space Symposium in Colorado next month. Today’s announcement from United Launch Alliance follows:
Centennial, Colo., (March 23, 2015) — America’s #1 space launch provider, 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:
- ULA1 for “Eagle”
- ULA2 for “Freedom”
- ULA3 for “GalaxyOne”
(Text and data rates may apply.)