Ursa Major, a leading rocket propulsion company, announced the successful hot-fire test of its Draper engine.
The Draper engine, designed to offer enhanced performance and reliability, underwent rigorous testing to validate its capabilities.
The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is funding Draper’s development.
Draper bears the storable characteristics of a solid motor with the higher performance and maneuverability of a liquid engine. Those qualities allow it to better simulate hypersonic threats as a target vehicle, which is a critical gap in America’s hypersonics capabilities today.
Solid rocket motors have traditionally powered the vehicles used for testing missile defense systems, but they cannot change thrust in real-time to actively throttle and respond to changing conditions. With adversarial hypersonic weapons becoming increasingly complex and erratic, liquid rocket engines provide active throttle control and throttle range, giving them the maneuverability and flexibility needed for hypersonic defense.
The engine’s development included extensive research and collaboration with experts to ensure it meets the highest standards of efficiency and reliability. As space exploration and commercial satellite launches expand, engines like Draper are essential for supporting a wide range of missions, from small satellite deployments to larger interplanetary ventures.