Ursa Major Awarded $34.9M to Advance Draper Engine for Space-Based Defense

Contract accelerates fielding of the tactical, storable liquid engine for national security missions in space

BERTHOUD, Colo., Sept. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ursa Major was awarded a $34.9 million contract from an undisclosed U.S. aerospace and defense company to deliver Draper engines and associated services. The effort will accelerate development, production, and deployment of Draper for critical national security applications in space and ultimately validate the engine's performance and flexibility under operational conditions.

Emerging national security requirements demand innovative, high-performing propulsion solutions. Draper is a tactical, storable liquid rocket engine designed for hypersonic missions, rapid response applications, and in-space maneuverability. It offers the same launch readiness and storability of a solid rocket motor, with the added benefits of restart capability, throttle control, and precise maneuverability with the flexibility to support new mission profiles. Given its low-part count and application of 100% American made with nearly two-thirds additively manufactured content, Draper is designed with affordable production at every stage of the engine's development.

"As adversaries increase their activity in space and missile defense becomes more multidomain, Draper provides the responsiveness, control, and flexibility required for the U.S. to defend against emerging threats," said Dan Jablonsky, CEO of Ursa Major. "As a high-speed, affordable mass propulsion system, Draper represents a paradigm shift in defense propulsion on land, at sea, in the air, and now, in space."

The award builds on Draper's rapid development timeline and follows a $28.6 million contract from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to demonstrate the engine in flight by the end of this calendar year, a testament to Ursa Major's rapid, production-ready design approach. Under that contract, Ursa Major is serving as lead integrator for a tactical flight demonstrator that will showcase Draper's use for hypersonic applications.

Draper operates on non-cryogenic, non-toxic propellants and uses a closed catalyst cycle. Successfully hot fired more than 250 times, Draper is safe, reusable, storable for at least 10 years, and designed from the ground up using additive manufacturing to accelerate timelines while lowering cost and complexity.

About Ursa Major

Ursa Major is an aerospace and defense company delivering flight-proven capabilities for hypersonics, solid rocket motors, in-space propulsion, and launch. Headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado, with additive manufacturing operations in Youngstown, Ohio, Ursa Major leverages advanced production techniques and flexible architectures to build systems for all domains: land, air, sea, and space. The company is revitalizing the defense industrial base for the U.S. and its allies, flying faster to accelerate delivery of critical capabilities where speed and adaptability matter most. For more information, visit www.ursamajor.com

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SOURCE Ursa Major