(Reuters) - United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin Corp (>> Lockheed Martin Corporation) and Boeing Co (>> Boeing Co), unveiled a next-generation rocket to replace its current Atlas and Delta boosters.

Here is a look at the new rocket, named Vulcan, which is slated to debut in 2019:

* Rocket’s first stage will be powered by a pair of liquid-oxygen and liquefied methane engines under development by Blue Origin, a space company started by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.

* ULA said it was continuing to work with Aerojet Rocketdyne, a unit of GenCorp Inc (>> Gencorp Inc), on an alternate engine, but would decide by the end of 2016 to proceed with one or the other engine.

* The rocket engines will separate from the booster after launch, fall back to Earth in an inflatable heat shield and be retrieved mid-air by helicopter for refurbishment and reuse.

* The rocket can have up to six strap-on solid fuel boosters, providing 20 percent more power.

* Initially, Vulcan will fly with ULA’s existing upper-stage Centaur engine, powered by a liquid-oxygen and liquid-hydrogen fuelled motor built by Aerojet Rocketdyne, part of GenCorp. In 2023, ULA expects to fly an advanced upper-stage, outfitted with up to four engines, and using “balloon tanks” which on Earth would collapse under their own weight.

* Three companies are in the running to build the engine for the new upper-stage – Aerojet Rocketdyne, Blue Origin and privately owned XCOR Aerospace. It will have an internal combustion engine, built in partnership with the race car company Roush Fenway Racing, that will expand its orbital lifetime and capabilities.

* Vulcan will be designed to handle a range of payloads currently served by ULA's Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets.

* Launch costs start about $100 million (68 million pounds), and should top out at less than $200 million, less than half the cost of an existing ULA Delta 4 Heavy booster.

* ULA intends to cut the number of launch pads from five to two, with one in Florida and one in California.

* ULA has already initiated certification process for the new engine with the U.S. Air Force, and expects to sign off on a detailed plan for achieving certification by August.

(Reporting by Irene Klotz in Cape Canaversal, Fla. and Andrea Shalal in Colorado Springs, Col.)

Stocks treated in this article : Boeing Co, Gencorp Inc, Lockheed Martin Corporation