Ursa Major Awarded $10.9M in U.S. Air Force Contract Options to Continue Hypersonic Engine Development

PR Newswire

BERTHOUD, Colo., Nov. 12, 2026

BERTHOUD, Colo., Nov. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Air Force Research Laboratory has exercised a $10.9M option on Ursa Major’s contract to continue development of Draper, our storable liquid rocket engine built for hypersonic applications.

Ursa Major

“Draper is at the heart of our hypersonics work, and AFRL and the United States Air Force have been partners from day one,” said Jason Meredith, President of Ursa Major. “This award keeps that work progressing, and it moves us closer to putting real capability in the hands of the warfighter.”

This exercised option follows the successful flights of the Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator as part of the same contract.

Ursa Major’s hypersonics portfolio includes the Hadley liquid rocket engine, which powers the DoW’s hypersonic test bed, the storable, tactical Draper Engine, which has flown with the Air Force Research Lab, and the HAVOC Missile System, which is the company’s affordable, highly capable hypersonic and long-range precision strike all-up-round. Ursa Major has flown its hypersonic systems more than a dozen times.

About Ursa Major 
Ursa Major is an advanced weapons and space systems company delivering hypersonic and long-range munitions, solid rocket motors, and space mobility systems to the United States and its allies. Founded in 2015, the company has established a record of flight-proven hypersonic and solid rocket motor performance. Ursa Major uses additive manufacturing, adaptable design, and flexible production methods to build at the speed and scale the mission demands. Headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado, with manufacturing operations in Youngstown, Ohio, Ursa Major is expanding America’s capacity to produce critical weapons and space systems. For more information, visit www.ursamajor.com.

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