Ursa Major is ramping up production of hypersonic engines, solid rocket motors, and space-based defense systems for the U.S. military and allied forces. Now the Colorado propulsion manufacturer has recruited two influential figures in aerospace and national security to help accelerate that mission.
The company announced on Oct. 2 the appointment of Dr. Ronald Sugar and Gilman Louie to its board.
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Sugar, former Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) chair and CEO, currently serves on Apple's (NYSE:AAPL) board and chairs Uber’s (NYSE:UBER) board. A physicist and engineer, Sugar spent decades developing advanced defense and aerospace technologies at one of the U.S.' largest defense contractors.
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“Ursa Major is ushering in much-needed next-generation propulsion technology for the aerospace and defense industry,” Sugar said in the company's statement. “From demonstrating liquid engines at hypersonic speeds to applying additive manufacturing in new ways for solid rocket motors, the company is just getting started, and I look forward to being part of their exciting future.”
Louie brings Silicon Valley innovation credentials gained in the intelligence community, according to Ursa Major. The veteran technology investor served as CEO of In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s venture capital arm. As co-founder and partner at Alsop Louie Partners, Ursa Major says Louie has extensive knowledge in national security innovation and guiding startups through the critical scale-up phase.
“Alsop Louie has backed Ursa Major for years, and I’ve seen firsthand how quickly they’ve advanced critical propulsion and rocket technologies,” Louie said in the statement. “Joining the board is an opportunity to help accelerate that trajectory as Ursa Major works to deliver critical systems to the warfighter and reshapes the defense industrial base.”
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Hypersonic Engines Flying Faster Than Legacy Contractors
Founded in 2015 by former SpaceX and Blue Origin propulsion engineer Joe Laurienti, Ursa Major says it became the first U.S. firm to fire an oxygen-rich staged combustion engine, a milestone previously achieved only by Russian engine-makers.
The company says its flagship Hadley engine powered multiple hypersonic missions and achieved flight qualification, reaching sustained speeds above Mach 5 with Stratolaunch’s Talon-A vehicle. Ursa Major reports completing deliveries of more than 100 engines and logging upwards of 100,000 seconds of hot-fire testing across its propulsion programs.
“We’re excited to be working with Ron and Gilman to rapidly innovate and scale capabilities for the defense industrial base,” Ursa Major CEO Dan Jablonsky said in the statement. “We’re adding unmatched leadership in aerospace and national defense innovation and gaining strategic insight that will help us solve the most urgent challenges facing the United States and our allies.”
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3D Printing Revolutionizes Rocket Motor Production
Ursa Major says its competitive advantage stems from its Lynx manufacturing process, which uses additive manufacturing to produce solid rocket motors on the same production line.
The company’s propulsion systems are more than 80% 3D-printed by mass, with components like rotating machinery, igniters, thrust chambers, and solid rocket motor casings fabricated in-house, according to its website.
With headquarters in Berthoud, Colorado, and additive manufacturing operations in Youngstown, Ohio, Ursa Major recently secured a $34.9 million contract to advance its Draper engine for space-based defense applications.
Sugar and Louie join Ursa Major as the company expands across multiple defense sectors, including a partnership with the U.S. Navy on a $25 million joint investment in solid rocket motor prototypes.
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