Ursa Major
Ursa Major is a privately held U.S. aerospace and defense company that designs and manufactures additive manufacturing-enabled propulsion systems—liquid rocket engines, solid rocket motors, and hypersonic missile systems—for the DoD, defense primes, and commercial space customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBerthoud, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Ursa Major does
Ursa Major Technologies, Inc. is a privately held, venture-backed aerospace and defense company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado. The company designs, manufactures, and tests advanced propulsion systems for hypersonic missiles, solid rocket motors (SRMs), and in-space satellite applications, with more than 80% of engine and motor mass produced via additive manufacturing. Its product portfolio spans storable liquid rocket engines (Draper), oxygen-rich staged combustion engines (Hadley, Ripley), a methane full-flow staged combustion engine (Arroway), the Lynx mixed-model SRM manufacturing process capable of producing motors from 2 to 22 inches in diameter on a single line without retooling, the Highly Loaded Grain (HLG) propellant technology, hydrazine-based in-space propulsion systems, and the HAVOC all-up-round hypersonic missile system unveiled in February 2026.
The company's vertically integrated production footprint spans six U.S. locations including a headquarters with machining and integration capabilities in Berthoud, Colorado; a 400-acre SRM test and qualification site in Weld County, Colorado; SRM production in Galeton, Colorado; a $14.5 million additive manufacturing R&D facility in Youngstown/Boardman, Ohio (expanded 10x); programmatic operations in Huntsville, Alabama; and a government relations office in Washington, D.C. Revenue is generated through firm-fixed-price contracts, IDIQ awards, and joint investments from U.S. DoD customers (AFRL, U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, Missile Defense Agency, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command), subcontracts with defense primes (RTX/Raytheon, BAE Systems), direct hardware sales of engines and SRMs (Stratolaunch, Sirius Technologies), and emerging prime-contractor sales of the HAVOC missile system with a target unit cost under $3 million. As of November 2025, Ursa Major had raised over $300 million in cumulative capital, including a $100 million Series E led by Eclipse Ventures at a $600 million post-money valuation with $50 million in additional debt commitments.
Ursa Major firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ursa Major
- Legal name
- Ursa Major Technologies, Inc.
- Website
- https://www.ursamajor.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Ursa Major is a privately held U.S. aerospace and defense company that designs and manufactures additive manufacturing-enabled propulsion systems—liquid rocket engines, solid rocket motors, and hypersonic missile systems—for the DoD, defense primes, and commercial space customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ursa Major industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Space Propulsion and Aerospace Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Aircraft Engines & Engine Parts (3724), Ordnance & Accessories, (No Vehicles/Guided Missiles) (3480)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Guided Missile & Rocket Manufacturing (IMABAHAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters (IMABACAE), Rocket Engines (Liquid) (IMABADAE), Rocket Motors, Propellants & Warhead Integration (IMABAHAC)
Keywords
Where Ursa Major is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berthoud
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices7 records
Markets served
Ursa Major business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Defense Contracts: Direct firm-fixed-price contracts and IDIQ awards from U.S. DoD, AFRL, U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, Missile Defense Agency, and U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command for propulsion development, flight demonstrations, and SRM manufacturing. Multi-year awards including $28.6M AFRL, $32.9M Stratolaunch subcontract, $12.5M DoD OSC, and $25M joint Navy investment.
- Defense Prime Subcontracts: Engineering services and hardware delivery to defense prime contractors (RTX/Raytheon, BAE Systems) for integrated missile system programs such as next-generation Army long-range rocket motor and APKWS extended range rocket motor.
- Hardware Sales - Rocket Engines and SRMs: Unit sales of liquid rocket engines (Hadley H13) and solid rocket motors. Examples: $32.9M contract to deliver 16 upgraded Hadley engines to Stratolaunch; 10-engine Hadley order from Sirius Technologies; tactical satellite propulsion hardware deliveries.
- All-Up-Round Missile System Sales: Transition to prime contractor for complete missile systems (HAVOC hypersonic missile system) with target unit cost under $3 million per missile. Multi-platform integration including fighters, bombers, vertical launch systems, and ground-based launchers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | HAVOC missile - under $3 million per unit target |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Satellite Propulsion System - $10-15 million multi-year award range |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ursa Major product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ursa Major designs, manufactures, and sells advanced propulsion systems for space launch, hypersonic weapons, and in-space applications. Its product portfolio includes the Hadley, Draper, Ripley, and Arroway liquid rocket engines, the Lynx solid rocket motor production line, the HAVOC hypersonic missile propulsion system, and hydrazine in-space propulsion modules. Customers are primarily U.S. defense and commercial space organizations requiring domestic, non-Russian propulsion supply.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Hadley: Liquid oxygen and kerosene, oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle rocket engine for hypersonic and small launch applications; first American engine of its kind to reach sustained Mach 5+ speeds.
- Draper
- Ripley
- Arroway
- HAVOC
- Lynx
Products and services
- Hadley engine A liquid-fueled rocket engine in Ursa Major's portfolio, designed for small launch vehicles and qualified for U.S. national security launch applications. Targeted at customers seeking domestic, non-Russian propulsion for small- to medium-lift launch systems.
- Draper engine A liquid rocket engine developed by Ursa Major as part of its family of domestically produced propulsion products for commercial and defense launch customers.
- Ripley engine A liquid rocket engine in Ursa Major's engine family, intended for space launch applications.
- Arroway engine A liquid rocket engine offered by Ursa Major as part of its broader propulsion product family for launch and defense customers.
- Lynx solid rocket motor manufacturing line A solid rocket motor manufacturing line providing domestic solid propulsion hardware for defense and commercial customers requiring U.S.-produced SRMs at scale.
- HAVOC hypersonic missile system A hypersonic missile propulsion system developed by Ursa Major for U.S. Department of Defense hypersonic weapons programs, providing domestically produced propulsion for advanced strike systems.
- In-space hydrazine propulsion modules Hydrazine-based monopropellant propulsion modules for satellites, providing station-keeping and attitude control capabilities for commercial and government spacecraft customers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced development-to-flight timeline to 8 months for AFRL ARMD program versus typical multi-year hypersonic development timelines
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Ursa Major
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ursa Major technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature9 records
Ursa Major partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Teledyne Brown EngineeringcoreUrsa Major selected as key partner by Teledyne Brown Engineering for U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command's D3I Domain 1 IDIQ contract focused on missile defense testing with threat representative ballistic and hypersonic target vehicles. Marks Ursa Major's third IDIQ contract inclusion after U.S. Air Force and Missile Defense Agency agreements in 2025.
- BAE SystemscoreCollaboration on extended range variant of 2.75" solid rocket motor used for the APKWS laser-guidance kit. Incorporates Ursa Major's Highly Loaded Grain (HLG) propellant technology for enhanced range and performance without increasing motor size. Completed successful static fires August 2025. Joint flight test planned for fall 2025.
- AAAME Partners (American Alliance for Additive Manufacturing Excellence)minorUrsa Major and partners launched the AAAME initiative to advance additive manufacturing standards and qualification in the U.S. defense and aerospace industrial base.
- StratolaunchflagshipStratolaunch is a flagship partner for hypersonic testing. $32.9M contract awarded to deliver 16 upgraded Hadley H13 engines for Stratolaunch's Talon-A hypersonic test vehicle program. Hadley engine has completed 10 consecutive successful flights aboard Stratolaunch's Talon-A. Jointly achieved the first U.S. reusable hypersonic flight testing since the X-15 program ended in 1968.
- Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)flagshipPublic-private partnership with AFRL's Rocket Propulsion Division at Edwards AFB. $28.6M firm-fixed-price contract for responsive space, hypersonic, and on-orbit propulsion culminating in ARMD flight demonstration. Contract-to-flight in 8 months. Follow-on Draper engine flight test 45 days after first.
- Sirius TechnologiescoreJapanese commercial space startup ordered 10 Hadley engines from Ursa Major and expanded partnership in April 2025 covering both Hadley and Arroway engine programs. Deepened ties announced April 2025.
- PalantircorePartnership announced March 2025 to bring Warp Speed (manufacturing software/systems integration) capabilities to Ursa Major's production operations.
- Raytheon (RTX)flagshipStrategic partnership with RTX's Raytheon business for next-generation long-range solid rocket motor for U.S. Army. Conducted successful flight test of 3D-printed long-range solid rocket motor in December 2024. Joint demonstration in March 2025. Co-development of advanced missile propulsion systems.
- U.S. Navy (Naval Air Weapons Center China Lake and Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division)flagship$25 million joint investment ($12.5M DoD Office of Strategic Capital matching $12.5M Ursa Major) to mature Lynx SRM manufacturing process. Developing second source Mk104 Dual Thrust Rocket Motor (DTRM) for the Navy under separate award.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Ursa Major competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Aerojet Rocketdyne (L3Harris): Aerojet Rocketdyne, now part of L3Harris, is the most direct competitor to Ursa Major in liquid and solid rocket propulsion for defense and space launch. Both companies supply SRMs and liquid engines to U.S. DoD primes and the government, and L3Harris is one of the two legacy SRM suppliers Ursa Major is positioning against.
- Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman (via the legacy Orbital ATK business) is one of the two remaining U.S. solid rocket motor suppliers and a major propulsion integrator. Ursa Major is explicitly positioning Lynx and its SRM portfolio as an alternative to Northrop Grumman's franchise, including on standard missile-class motors.
- RTX (Raytheon): Raytheon is both a Ursa Major customer (co-developing long-range 3D-printed SRMs for the U.S. Army) and a broader propulsion and missile systems competitor. Both companies field integrated solid rocket motors and hypersonic-class systems, with Raytheon acting as integrator on multiple Ursa Major-supported programs.
- Rocket Lab: Rocket Lab designs and manufactures its own liquid rocket engines (Rutherford, Archimedes, Neutron) and in-space propulsion systems. It competes with Ursa Major in the small-to-medium launch and satellite propulsion markets and shares a vertically integrated, privately held propulsion development model.
- Relativity Space: Relativity Space builds 3D-printed rockets (Terran 1, Terran R) using large-format additive manufacturing, making it one of the closest analogues to Ursa Major's AM-first propulsion approach. Both companies bet on additive as the path to faster, cheaper aerospace hardware.
- Firefly Aerospace: Firefly develops its own in-house liquid rocket engines (Reaver, Lightning) for small-to-medium launch and is also a participant in U.S. DoD space and defense work. It competes with Ursa Major in the small launch propulsion market and shares a similar customer mix across commercial and government launch.
Broad incumbents
- SpaceX: SpaceX develops reusable liquid rocket engines (Merlin, Raptor) and is one of only two other U.S. companies to have proven and reflown a hypersonic-class liquid engine. While SpaceX focuses on commercial launch, the underlying propulsion and additive manufacturing heritage directly overlaps with Ursa Major's engineering DNA, and several Ursa Major leaders are SpaceX alumni.
- Blue Origin: Blue Origin is the second U.S. company (alongside SpaceX and now Ursa Major) to have proven and reflown a reusable liquid rocket engine. Its BE-series engines and large-scale liquid propulsion compete with Ursa Major's Arroway and Hadley lines for the same engineering talent pool and DoD/launch customers.
Emerging players
- Anduril Industries: Anduril is the peer most often cited alongside Ursa Major as a new entrant addressing solid rocket motor and broader defense industrial base gaps. Both are venture-backed, software- and manufacturing-centric, and building new categories of capability for the U.S. DoD.
- Hadrian: Hadrian builds additive-manufactured precision parts for aerospace and defense and has been publicly grouped with Ursa Major as a scaling U.S. AM supplier for national security hardware. While Hadrian focuses on machined components rather than propulsion, it shares the same industrial-base thesis and customer set.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ursa Major social profiles
Digital presenceUrsa Major financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ursa Major leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Ursa Major funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds15 records
Investors26 records
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Ursa Major M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ursa Major
What does Ursa Major do?
Ursa Major designs, manufactures, and sells advanced propulsion systems for space launch, hypersonic weapons, and in-space applications. Its product portfolio includes the Hadley, Draper, Ripley, and Arroway liquid rocket engines, the Lynx solid rocket motor production line, the HAVOC hypersonic missile propulsion system, and hydrazine in-space propulsion modules. Customers are primarily U.S. defense and commercial space organizations requiring domestic, non-Russian propulsion supply.
Is Ursa Major a public or private company?
Ursa Major is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Ursa Major founded?
Ursa Major was founded in 2015. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Ursa Major based?
Ursa Major is headquartered in Berthoud, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ursa Major make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Government Defense Contracts are the primary driver. The others are defense Prime Subcontracts, hardware Sales - Rocket Engines and SRMs and all-Up-Round Missile System Sales.
Who are Ursa Major's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Aerojet Rocketdyne (L3Harris), Northrop Grumman, RTX (Raytheon), Rocket Lab, Relativity Space and Firefly Aerospace. Broad incumbents are SpaceX and Blue Origin. Emerging players are Anduril Industries and Hadrian.
Does Ursa Major have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ursa Major.
What industry is Ursa Major in?
Ursa Major's product category is Space Propulsion and Aerospace Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAHAA, Guided Missile & Rocket Manufacturing, with a secondary code of IMABACAE, Spacecraft Propulsion (In-Space) & Thrusters. Its NAICS code is 336414 and its SIC code is 3760.