Two Successful Test Flights with Stratolaunch Reach Greater Than Hypersonic Speed and Feature Historic First Landing

DENVER, May 5, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ursa Major's Hadley liquid rocket engine designed for commercial space and national security needs, successfully achieved sustained hypersonic speeds during two separate tests conducted since late 2024. Both test flights exceeded flight and power objectives for Stratolaunch's Talon-A2 (TA-2) testbed and also featured the successful recovery of the hypersonic testbed vehicle post-landing for re-use.

"With these successful sustained hypersonic flights, Ursa Major and Stratolaunch are pushing the boundaries of hypersonic technology and building a track record of achievement. Ursa Major is answering the call from our military and government partners to innovate and meet the mission to provide critical national security capabilities, while continuing to assert ourselves as a hypersonics category leader for the warfighter," said Ursa Major CEO Dan Jablonsky.

Hadley is a 5,000-pound-thrust (lbf) liquid oxygen and kerosene, oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle reusable rocket engine for small vehicles or hypersonic applications. In addition to the two recent hypersonic flights, Hadley flew its first successful flight, achieving high supersonic speeds with Stratolaunch, completing three successful flights in one calendar year. Hadley enables the U.S. Department of Defense to field new mission solutions faster and advances performance metrics of speed, range, and payload.

Hadley is the first product in a family of propulsion systems, including liquid rocket engines, solid rocket motors, and in-space propulsion systems, being designed, developed, and produced by Ursa Major.

About Ursa Major 

Ursa Major is an aerospace and defense company, providing products and solutions for hypersonic, tactical missile, and space mobility systems. The company applies state-of-the-art digital and additive manufacturing techniques to rapidly produce the most advanced, cost-effective solutions. Ursa Major has category-leading hypersonic, on-orbit, and solid rocket motor propulsion capabilities. Ursa Major's customers range from commercial space technology providers to enterprise-level aerospace and defense leaders as well as the U.S. government. The company employs the most sought-after engineers from top aerospace programs and universities, united in the core values of disruptive innovation, flying faster, and providing reliable and cost-effective systems. Headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado, with additive manufacturing facilities in Youngstown, Ohio, Ursa Major was named one of the best places to work by Built in Colorado three years in a row.

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SOURCE Ursa Major