RTX Raytheon and Ursa Major flight test long-range AM solid rocket motor
December 19, 2024
Raytheon Technologies, an RTX business, and Ursa Major have successfully flight-tested an additively manufactured advanced long-range solid rocket motor for the US Army. The companies’ combined experience and expertise in digital engineering was cited as a critical factor in accelerating the design and development of the rocket.
“These long-range solid rocket motors will allow the US Army and allies to strike farther and faster than anything our adversaries have in their arsenals,” stated Tom Laliberty, president of Land and Air Defense Systems at Raytheon. “This long-range rocket motor technology fills the essential role of providing affordable precision fires, while increasing range, safety, and magazine depth.”
Raytheon and Ursa Major’s technical approach composes innovative, low-cost component technologies to deliver a new generation of smart munitions for the US Army that are significantly more affordable than currently fielded systems.
“The Ursa Major team has utilised Additive Manufacturing to complete motor development, manufacturing, and testing in unprecedented timelines, resulting in nearly 300 static test fires this year,” Ursa Major CEO, Dan Jablonsky, shared. “The innovative manufacturing techniques we employ are yielding agile solid rocket motor solutions with the design flexibility needed to expand the capabilities of the US military. Ursa Major is poised to scale the production of higher-performing solid rocket motors at the pace and volume the country requires and at a price the country can afford.”
Raytheon has selected Ursa Major’s advanced propulsion technology as a key enabler to provide affordable solutions for the US Army at extended ranges. During the next phase of the programme, Raytheon and Ursa Major will incorporate manufacturing improvements, leading toward additional flight tests in 2025 and qualification in 2026.
In 2023, RTX Ventures invested in Ursa Major to explore new rocket motor technologies and help address national security requirements. Together, Raytheon and Ursa Major are responding to the US Army’s urgent need for affordable precision-guided munitions by rapidly developing smart munitions via investments in rocket motor development and testing (to prove design stability and maturity.)
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