Ursa Major completes hypersonic ARMD test for AFRL
Ursa Major Technologies Inc., located in Berthoud, Colorado, USA, has successfully static-fired the Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator (ARMD), powered by the Draper liquid rocket engine, as part of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) initiative to demonstrate affordable hypersonic munition concepts. This was conducted in preparation for ARMD’s first flight test.
Draper is a 4,000-pound-thrust, closed-catalyst cycle system that uses non-cryogenic fuels that optimise long-term storability. Ursa Major announced the successful hotfire of the Draper engine in May 2024. Ursa Major uses metal Additive Manufacturing to develop and manufacture its rocket engines
In the recent ground test, the company fired ARMD for the full-duration mission cycle and demonstrated bipropellant operations. This static fire comes just over six months after Ursa Major was awarded $28.6 million by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
