Ursa Major Advances Rocket Engine

The Hadley engine operates on an oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle, a sophisticated design where hot, oxygen-rich gas powers the engine's turbopumps before being fully combusted. This closed-cycle approach maximizes fuel efficiency and performance but presents significant engineering challenges due to the highly corrosive nature of hot oxygen. Built with 80% additively manufactured components, the Hadley produces 5,000 pounds of thrust at sea level, with a vacuum variant capable of 6,500 lbf. This reliance on 3D printing drastically reduces part counts and enables rapid production timelines, allowing Ursa Major to act as a merchant supplier of engines. The latest H13 model focuses on in-sourcing these manufactured parts and using new materials to more than double the engine's reusability. The engine's real-time operation hinges on complex embedded control systems. These systems are critical for managing the precise timing of valves, monitoring temperatures and pressures, and controlling the turbopumps—functions where FPGAs are often used for their deterministic and high-precision processing capabilities, essential for stability and performance. Hadley is the first American-made engine of its kind to achieve sustained hypersonic flight, having powered Stratolaunch's Talon-A test vehicle to speeds exceeding Mach 5. Stratolaunch, a key customer, operates from the Mojave Air and Space Port, a hub in Southern California's aerospace ecosystem. Ursa Major's business model contrasts with vertically integrated players like SpaceX and Blue Origin, who develop engines in-house. The company aims to supply propulsion systems to a range of clients, including customers like Phantom Space for its Daytona rocket. However, some potential customers, like ABL Space Systems, have shifted to developing their own engines.