An artist's rendering of what the newly named Vulcan rocket would look like upon liftoff. (Photo courtesy United Launch Alliance)

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United Launch Alliance's new Vulcan rocket very well may live long and prosper ... but under a different moniker, if Vulcan Aerospace has a say in the matter.

"Vulcan is a trademark of Vulcan Inc. and we have informed ULA of our trademark rights," Chuck Beames, president of Vulcan Aerospace, a division of Paul Allen-backed Vulcan Inc., told Reuters. "Paul Allen and Vulcan were early leaders within space exploration with the launch of SpaceShipOne more than a decade ago."

United Launch Alliance on Monday unveiled the Vulcan as the company's next big thing a reusable and powerful replacement for the Atlas and Delta rockets.

The name, which was determined by a public vote, was cleared by ULA's legal department prior to being offered as a ballot choice.

ULA spokeswoman Jessica Rye is confident the company took all necessary steps to use the name.

"We have done our due diligence regarding the legal right to use the name Vulcan," she said via e-mail. " ULA is committed to taking every reasonable step to avoid any confusion with other entities using this name and we are confident we can do so."

ULA allowed to the public to vote on the name and more than 1 million votes were cast balloting that began March 23. Vulcan won by a landslide, garnering about two-thirds of the votes, ULA CEO Tory Bruno told The Denver Post on Monday.

Vulcan was not among the original three potential rocket names that ULA put up for a public vote. The original ballot included Eagle, Freedom or GalaxyOne, but due to poplar demand, the ballot was expanded to include Vulcan and Zeus.

Originally posted here:

Paul Allen's Vulcan Aerospace to ULA: Change that rocket's name!