Ursa Major Completes Draper Liquid Engine Hotfire

Ursa Major completed the hotfire of the Draper liquid engine in March, a significant milestone in the engine’s development.

The Draper is a 4,000-pound-thrust closed catalyst cycle engine that takes advantage of a non-cryogenic fuel to optimize storability, making it suitable for a wide range of in-space propulsion applications.

The engine’s accelerated development pace shows the United States’ growing presence in the field of hypersonics and the company’s capability to meet the U.S. defense industry’s growing demand, Ursa Major said. 

Brad Appel, chief technology officer at Ursa Major, said that the company is excited about the rapid timeline of the development and is looking forward to providing an engine for hypersonics and in-space applications in the future.

Work on the Draper engine started when it secured a U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory contract to develop rocket engines that would lessen the United States’ dependence on foreign-made propulsion systems. Under the deal, the Draper will be designed for hypersonics, while the Arroway engine will be used for space launches.