Solutions for commercial space
Liftoff without the heavy lifting
The Problem
Propulsion is notoriously difficult and expensive.
For decades, the U.S. aerospace and defense industry has faced two problematic choices for propulsion: build engines in-house—which can take 5-10 years and hundreds of millions of dollars—or buy outdated or foreign technology.
Propulsion accounts for
50%
Of launch failures
60%
Of vehicle costs
90%
Of vehicle complexity
The Approach
Get to the launch pad faster
With high-performing, turnkey rocket engines, Ursa Major focuses exclusively on propulsion so you don't have to.
80% of engines' mass is 3D printed for quick iteration, part commonality, and shorter build timelines.
Oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle as our baseline is a higher performing architecture at a fraction of the cost of traditional engine programs.
80,000+ seconds of runtime in testing for proven reliability and performance.
Built with reusability in mind.
Missions We Serve
Launch
Flexible engines for small, medium, and heavy launch vehicles.
Hypersonic testbeds
Accelerate the pace of hypersonic testing, without relying on a wind tunnel.
In-space
Reliable propulsion capable of multiple restarts and a custom burn duration within the vacuum of space.
Hadley
In production: America’s first oxygen-rich staged combustion engine
Suitable for small launch, hypersonics
Lox / Kerosene
Propellants
Oxygen-rich
staged combustion
5,000 lbf
Thrust, Sea Level
6,500 lbf
THRUST, VACUUM VARIANT
Ripley
In development: Highest performing kerosene engine ever built in the U.S.
Suitable for small to medium commercial launch
Lox / Kerosene
Propellants
Oxygen-rich
staged combustion
50,000 lbf
Thrust, Sea Level
Arroway
In design: The future of American engines for heavy lift
Suitable for medium to heavy launch, national security launch, RD-180 replacement
Lox / Methane
PROPELLANTS
Staged Combustion
200,000 lbf
Thrust, Sea Level
Latest News
Hadley engines qualified for launch, hypersonics, and in-space missions
Achieving liftoff takes something different every time, and Ursa Major’s Hadley engine now has three qualified variants built to satisfy America’s commercial and national security space needs. Having one engine that’s suitable for multiple missions means commercial launch providers can get larger payloads to orbit faster and at a lower cost. For America’s military, a single engine that can meet small launch and hypersonic needs is a game-changer in the race to stay ahead of Russia and China.
Read More