New partnership advances solid rocket motor production using 3D printing to meet growing defense and space demands.

In a strategic effort to enhance national defense capabilities, Ursa Major Technologies Inc. has entered a $25 million partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) to advance the production of solid rocket motors using additive manufacturing techniques.

With a focus on solving some of the most pressing challenges in aerospace and defense, Ursa Major has become a leading American manufacturer of advanced rocket engines and propulsion systems, specializing in cutting-edge technologies for both commercial space exploration and national security missions.

Founded in 2015 by former SpaceX and Blue Origin engineer Joe Laurienti, Ursa Major has quickly become a leading player in addressing critical gaps in the U.S. propulsion supply chain, specializing in the development of high-performance rocket engines and solid rocket motors (SRMs) through additive manufacturing.

By leveraging advanced metal 3D printing technologies, including laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), the company has been able to produce an impressive lineup of propulsive components more efficiently and cost-effectively than conventional methods.

Ursa Major Technologies Inc.

The company has achieved several notable milestones, including developing the Ripley engine, a 50,000-pound thrust oxygen-rich staged combustion rocket engine designed for medium launch applications.

By streamlining production through advanced metal 3D printing technologies, Ursa Major has rapidly scaled its operations, ensuring both flexibility and adaptability in their manufacturing processes, positioning the company as a critical player in the propulsion industry while addressing evolving national defense and space exploration demands and further strengthening the resilience of the U.S. propulsion supply chain.

Over the years, Ursa Major has developed a robust portfolio of propulsion systems tailored for both space exploration and defense applications. This includes a range of liquid rocket engines and solid rocket motors, all optimized for high performance and reliability, such as Hadley for small launches and hypersonic platforms; Ripley for medium launch applications; and the under-development Arroway for heavy lift and national security missions – all designed using their proprietary metal 3D printing process.

Additionally, its Draper engine, with its storability (long-term fuel storage capability) akin to a solid motor, has been engineered for tactical hypersonics, missile defense, and in-space propulsion, expanding the company's capabilities in national security applications and allowing Ursa Major to deliver customizable and scalable propulsion solutions across various sectors.

Accelerating momentum

Benefitting from its hard-earned expertise in propulsion systems, the company has reached several critical milestones that further solidify its position in the propulsion industry, starting with a tailored technology designed to improve the production of its advanced rocket engines.

"Ursa Major is offering a new way to scale production of SRMs," said Ursa Major Founder and former CEO Joe Laurienti during the announcement last year. "Lynx meets the defence industry's need for a faster, cheaper, scalable, and flexible SRM production process that results in better-performing solid rocket motors."

In 2023, Ursa Major introduced its Lynx 3D printing approach for SRMs. Hoping to address critical supply chain gaps and restore depleted munitions inventories, Lynx technology allows for faster and more flexible production of solid rocket motors, offering a scalable and adaptable solution to meet national defense needs.

"We've adapted our extensive experience in additive manufacturing, materials development, and propulsion production to the most pressing problems facing the SRM industry," Laurienti added. "The result is an adaptable manufacturing process that is designed to mass produce multiple systems, rapidly switching from one model to another, producing reliable SRMs quickly and at scale, while leaving room to collaborate across the industry on energetics."

Earlier this year, the company achieved a major breakthrough with the first flight of its Hadley engine aboard Stratolaunch's TA-1 test vehicle, a significant achievement that marked a step forward in hypersonic flight capabilities.

In addition to the Hadley engine's successful test flight, Ursa Major announced a $14.5 million investment in July to expand its existing operations into a larger additive manufacturing and materials research center in Youngstown, Ohio.

This facility will focus on advancing additive manufacturing techniques for both solid rocket motors and liquid rocket engines, enabling the company to better serve the growing demand from DOD and commercial space enterprises while establishing Ohio as a critical hub for innovative aerospace manufacturing and supporting local job growth and economic development.

"The new R&D centre in Youngstown takes advantage of Ohio's manufacturing heritage and uniquely skilled workforce to advance manufacturing in service to our national security," said Laurienti in July. "Raw material access, supply chain, and a vibrant additive manufacturing ecosystem as a result of the America Makes program make Youngstown an ideal home for this center."

Ursa Major Technologies Inc.

Ursa Major's propulsion systems are designed to enhance U.S. missile systems and tactical rockets, addressing key defense requirements for the Department of Defense.

DOD partnership

Building on the momentum of its technological achievements, Ursa Major's recent announcement of a $25 million partnership with the DOD marks a pivotal step forward in addressing critical national defense needs.

The investment, made through DOD's Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), is aimed at enhancing the company's SRM production capabilities via advanced additive manufacturing techniques.

"We are proud to work with OSC on their mandate for expanding the defence industrial base by bringing new innovations into the DoD ecosystem," said Ursa Major CEO Dan Jablonsky. "Ursa Major is revolutionising manufacturing approaches used in propulsion development in the United States, building flexibility of production and scalability into manufacturing for our defence customers."

Ursa Major Technologies Inc.

Leveraging its Lynx technology, Ursa Major aims to streamline solid rocket motor production with faster, more flexible 3D printing processes, addressing critical supply chain gaps in defense munitions and aerospace propulsion systems.

This strategic partnership represents a significant commitment to advancing SRM technology, especially in light of growing defense concerns over depleted munitions inventories and global supply chain vulnerabilities. The $12.5 million from the OSC will be matched by Ursa Major, bringing the total investment to $25 million, with the funds to be allocated toward refining the company's Lynx SRM technology.

In addition to advancing SRM technologies, this partnership highlights DOD's broader goal of securing domestic supply chains for critical defense technologies. By increasing investments in companies like Ursa Major through its OSC, DOD is addressing the growing need for more reliable, U.S.-based sources of solid rocket motors and other propulsion systems, reducing dependency on foreign suppliers.

Moreover, the advancements made through this partnership are expected to benefit both military and commercial sectors, further enhancing U.S. space exploration technologies.

With Lynx technology already leading the way in fast, scalable production, this collaboration aims to accelerate the development of next-generation propulsion systems that will meet the needs of an evolving defense landscape while supporting broader aerospace initiatives.