Ursa Major completes US Navy solid rocket motor programme
Ursa Major, headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado, USA, reports it has completed its Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) Manufacturing Pathfinder Program, conducted in partnership with the US Navy and the Office of Strategic Capital (OSC).
During the programme, the company designed, manufactured and successfully completed a static fire test of a Highly Loaded Grain (HLG) 10-inch SRM prototype. Ursa Major also developed and characterised a proprietary propellant for the motor.
According to the company, the prototype met all performance objectives and burn duration requirements, establishing a technical and manufacturing foundation for future US Navy systems requiring a 10-inch diameter SRM.
The programme also supported investment in manufacturing capacity and process improvements intended to expand Ursa Major’s SRM production capability. As part of this work, the company further developed its modular manufacturing process, known as Lynx, which incorporates HLG technology and enables greater subsystem commonality across multiple motor designs.
Ursa Major states that this approach reduces tooling costs and lead times while increasing manufacturing flexibility and production scalability.
The programme was undertaken in collaboration with the Naval Air Weapons Center Weapons Division at China Lake, California, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division, and US Navy acquisition organisations. According to the company, the collaboration was intended to streamline development, align technical execution with programme requirements and ensure manufacturing processes meet operational needs.
The work also supported the US Department of Defense’s Strategic Objective Needs by focusing on the manufacturability, scalability and rapid qualification of solid rocket motor technologies for missile and rocket systems.
