Ursa Major, the leading independent rocket propulsion provider and a critical player in building the defense industrial base in the United States, is powering the future of defense and aerospace with advanced propulsion systems that span national security domains, hypersonics, and space. Optimized for speed, cost, and reliability, Ursa Major provides propulsion for critical missions across commercial and government sectors.
Propulsion remains an existential bottleneck, as national security and space industry growth for the United States and its allies depend on reliable propulsion, with demand currently outpacing supply. Spanning all of aerospace and defense, Ursa Major views aerospace advancement as a technological imperative and is accelerating the industry as the leading source of world-class propulsion systems.
Solutions for Defense
Ursa Major leverages additive manufacturing to mass-produce hypersonic defense systems and tactical munitions, delivering hardware to warfighters faster. Utilizing modular production, a single 3D printer can produce hundreds of motors for portable missile systems while maintaining flexibility. These methods reduce manufacturing cycles, achieving in days what once took months, while lowering costs and enabling surge readiness through scalable, uniform production cells.
Ursa Major serves critical missions across national security, hypersonics, and tactical systems by providing advanced propulsion solutions. For national security launches, their liquid rocket engines offer over 10% higher fuel economy and 30% higher impulse density, enhancing range and payload capabilities. In hypersonics, they deliver storable, liquid rocket engines with the maneuverability and flexibility required to address increasingly erratic threats. For tactical systems, they employ a mixed manufacturing approach for solid rocket motors, ensuring flexibility, adaptability, and surge-capable production.
Products
Solid rocket motors, additively manufactured for production speed and flexibility, are suitable for tactical missiles, missile defense, and hypersonic applications with a diameter range of 2-22 inches. These motors feature a tailorable thrust profile and composite solid propellants.
The Draper engine is a flexible liquid engine offering the storability of a solid motor, suitable for tactical hypersonics, missile defense, and in-space propulsion. It uses hydrogen peroxide and kerosene propellants, producing 4,000 lbf thrust at sea level with a closed catalyst cycle.
The Ripley engine, the highest-performing kerosene engine built in the U.S., is designed for small to medium commercial launches. It employs LOX/kerosene propellants, oxygen-rich staged combustion, and generates 50,000 lbf thrust at sea level.
Solutions for Commercial Space
Ursa Major enables quicker access to the launch pad with high-performing, turnkey rocket engines, focusing exclusively on propulsion. 80% of the engines’ mass is 3D printed for rapid iteration, part commonality, and shorter build timelines. Using an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle as their baseline, they deliver higher-performing architecture at a fraction of the cost of traditional engine programs. With over 80,000 seconds of runtime in testing, their engines demonstrate proven reliability and performance, and they are built with reusability.
Ursa Major serves diverse missions with flexible engines designed for small, medium, and heavy launch vehicles, enabling versatile launch capabilities. They accelerate hypersonic testing with innovative testbeds that eliminate the reliance on wind tunnels. Additionally, their reliable in-space propulsion supports multiple restarts and customizable burn durations within the vacuum of space.
Products
Hadley is America’s first oxygen-rich staged combustion engine, suitable for small launches and hypersonics. It uses LOX/kerosene propellants and delivers 5,000 lbf thrust at sea level, with a vacuum variant producing 6,500 lbf thrust.
Ripley, the highest-performing kerosene engine built in the U.S., is designed for small to medium commercial launches. It operates with LOX/kerosene propellants, oxygen-rich staged combustion, and produces 50,000 lbf thrust at sea level.
Arroway represents the future of American engines for heavy lift, suitable for medium to heavy launches, national security launches, and as an RD-180 replacement. Using LOX/methane propellants and staged combustion, it generates 200,000 lbf thrust at sea level.
Solutions for Propulsion
Ursa Major solid rocket motor designs are optimized for manufacturing while delivering full performance. They offer surge capability by rapidly scaling motor production using common manufacturing equipment and minimal tooling. Their adaptability allows one-click changeover to different casings on a single additive machine. Ursa Major has streamlined the motor manufacturing process, reducing both part count and assembly tasks to lower costs. Their in-house designed components, including propellant tanks, avionics, and thrusters, are optimized for performance, mass, and lead time. Ursa Major collaborates directly with customers to deliver tailor-made propulsion solutions for reliable use from LEO to GEO and beyond.
Satellite Maneuverability – 6-DOF system
By leveraging propulsion and manufacturing expertise, Ursa Major ensures satellite maneuverability, reliability, and redefines industry lead times for rapid deployment of space-based capabilities. Ursa Major’s 6-DOF system – a modular monopropellant hydrazine in-space propulsion system utilizing a variable degree-of-freedom. Built on hydrazine architecture, it features a modular platform for enhanced flexibility and performance.
Ursa Major combines cutting-edge engineering, manufacturing, and testing operations at its 90-acre headquarters in Berthoud, Colorado, and its Advanced Manufacturing Lab in Youngstown, Ohio. Guided by values of cohesion, conviction, and humility, Ursa Major has become the first American company to fire an oxygen-rich staged combustion engine, delivering reusable, high-performing propulsion systems to commercial space enterprises, defense contractors, and the Department of Defense for critical missions across launch, hypersonics, and national security domains.
