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Ursa Major
Ursa Major has successfully hotfire tested its Draper engine at the company’s headquarters in Berthoud, Colorado.
The company says this is a huge milestone for Draper, which has undergone a hotfire test 'well ahead of schedule' compared to industry standards after the development of the liquid engine was announced in May 2023.
Ursa Major's 4,000-pound-thrust closed catalyst cycle engine uses a non-cryogenic fuel that optimises storability, making the engine suited for in-space propulsion applications. Based on its thrust profile, the engine is not only capable of manoeuvring objects in orbit but doing so without fully depleting its store of propellant, potentially allowing for additional mission functions. Because of these capabilities, Ursa Major believes the Draper propulsion system is 'primed' to be part of the U.S.'s response to 'adversaries' pursuing anti-satellite systems. The company also says that Draper will help the U.S. to catch up to other markets in the field of hypersonics, which the engine was originally designed for.
Drawing on the architectural and manufacturing legacy of Ursa Major’s Hadley engine, Draper combines the storable attributes of a solid rocket motor with active throttle control and throttle range of a liquid engine, providing the manoeuvrability and flexibility that is needed for hypersonic defence. It is this design, Ursa Major says, that allows the engine to effectively simulate hypersonic threats and that makes the engine well-equipped to address the 'critical gap' in America's hypersonics capabilities.
“We're excited with how quickly the development program has progressed and look forward to fielding the engine for hypersonics and in-space applications in the coming years,” said Brad Appel, Chief Technology Officer at Ursa Major. The development and testing of Draper are supported by funding from a contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The funding was also directed to building the Draper-specific test stand at Ursa Major’s headquarters in Berthoud, Colorado, which has and will continue to allow for greater testing capabilities and, in turn, quicker iteration and development of the Draper engine.
“Perhaps the most-impressive aspect of this program is the delivery of a versatile, storable rocket engine in such an incredibly short timeframe. AFRL and industry is taking on the challenge our USAF and USSF leadership has asked of us to deliver faster capabilities, craft tighter bonds with industry, and leverage what is already in existence to provide asymmetric advances. And thankfully, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what we are doing as One Team,” added Dr. Shawn Phillips, Chief of AFRL’s Rocket Propulsion Division.
Following this successful engine hotfire, Ursa Major intends to continue an aggressive development campaign and mature the engine towards flight qualification.
Earlier this year, Ursa Major's Hadley engine flies successfully with the Stratolaunch TA-1 test vehicle, while the company also announced it is to manufacture solid rocket motor for the Naval Energetics Systems and Technologies Program. The company's CEO Joe Laurienti also appeared on the Additive Insight podcast to discuss the company's application of additive manufacturing.