Ursa Major

Ursa Major develops and manufactures advanced rocket propulsion systems for aerospace and defense. Specializing in liquid, solid, and electric engines, it supports hypersonics, in-space missions, and launch vehicles. Leveraging additive manufacturing, the company provides a domestic source for critical propulsion. It was the first privately funded U.S. firm to fire and fly an oxygen-rich staged combustion engine, enabling high-performance solutions.

Ursa Major Technologies was founded in 2015 by Joe Laurienti in Berthoud, Colorado. Laurienti identified a critical need for independent, reliable domestic rocket propulsion. His engineering background informed the strategy to address market gaps and reduce reliance on existing contractors. The company focuses on agile, cost-effective, high-performance engines.

Ursa Major's propulsion solutions serve government agencies, prime contractors, and commercial space companies. The company envisions becoming the premier independent propulsion provider, strengthening domestic supply chains for national security and commercial space. Its mission is to accelerate vital capability deployment through continuous rocket engine innovation.

High-Level Overview

Ursa Major Technologies is an American aerospace company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado, specializing in high-performance rocket propulsion systems for space launch, hypersonics, missile defense, and national security applications.[1][2][3] The company develops and sells liquid rocket engines like the 5,000 lbf Hadley (for small satellites) and the in-development 50,000 lbf Ripley, alongside solid rocket motors (SRMs), using advanced additive manufacturing to enable faster, more scalable production than legacy methods.[2][3][4] It serves commercial launch providers (e.g., Phantom Space, Astra Space), hypersonics firms, and the U.S. Department of Defense, solving key challenges in propulsion reliability, cost, and rapid deployment amid surging demand for space and defense tech; with ~270 employees as of 2023 and expansions like a new Ohio R&D center, it has raised over $93 million in funding, including an $85 million Series C in 2021.[2][3]

Origin Story

Ursa Major Technologies was founded in 2015 in Lafayette, Colorado, by a team including CEO Joe Laurienti, emerging from the need for affordable, off-the-shelf rocket engines to disrupt the aerospace industry's in-house fabrication norm, initially targeting the microsatellite and nanosatellite market.[1][2][5] The idea stemmed from recognizing inefficiencies in small-launch propulsion, leading to early products like the Hadley engine (named after a Ray Bradbury character), with initial traction via $8 million raised in 2017 from investors like Space Angels Network.[2] Pivotal moments include the 2021 $85 million Series C led by BlackRock, workforce growth to 270 by 2023, and securing contracts like supplying Astra Space’s Rocket 4 upper stage, alongside expansions such as 3D printing in Ohio and a $14.5 million R&D center there to advance national security propulsion.[2][3]

Core Differentiators

• Advanced Manufacturing and Scalability: Leverages additive manufacturing and modular architectures for rapid production of liquid engines and SRMs, enabling surge-ready output for missiles and hypersonics faster than traditional methods.[3][4]
• Engine Portfolio: Offers flight-proven options like Hadley (5,000 lbf, LOX/kerosene) and developing engines such as Ripley (50,000 lbf for LEO/GTO), Arroway (200,000 lbf LOX/methane), and Draper (4,000 lbf H2O2/kerosene for hypersonics), with features like throttle control (±5° gimbal) and staged combustion for superior performance.[2][4]
• Mission Versatility: Provides turnkey propulsion for diverse domains—hypersonics (storable, maneuverable engines), space (satellite mobility/orbit transfer), missile defense (extended-range SRMs), and launch—serving U.S. government, defense primes, and startups like C6 Launch and Stratolaunch.[2][3][4]
• Developer and Customer Focus: Emphasizes reliability, cost-effectiveness, and quick integration, with operating support via U.S.-made systems that reduce supply chain risks and accelerate flight readiness.[3][5]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Ursa Major rides the wave of commercial space proliferation, hypersonic weapons race, and U.S. national security priorities, where demand for resilient satellite constellations, rapid space mobility, and counter-hypersonic defenses has exploded amid geopolitical tensions.[3][4] Timing is ideal post-2021 funding boom and DoD contracts, as market forces like supply chain vulnerabilities and legacy engine bottlenecks favor its 3D-printed, scalable approach—evident in Ohio expansion tapping manufacturing heritage and America Makes ecosystem.[3] It influences the ecosystem by enabling smaller launchers (e.g., Phantom Space) to compete, powering DoD platforms for munitions and in-space ops, and reducing reliance on foreign propulsion, thus bolstering American dominance in multi-domain warfare from land, air, sea, and space.[2][4][6]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Ursa Major is poised for accelerated growth through DoD portfolio expansion, with its Youngstown R&D hub scaling additive tech for solid/liquid propulsion amid rising hypersonics and space defense needs.[3] Trends like AI-driven manufacturing, methane-fueled heavy lift (Arroway), and on-orbit maneuverability will shape its path, potentially capturing more prime contracts as U.S. launch cadence hits hundreds annually. Its influence may evolve from niche supplier to propulsion leader, mirroring how it already outpaces incumbents in speed and cost—positioning it to propel America's edge in the new space age.[2][3][4]