Ursa Major completes Navy solid rocket motor pathfinder program
The $25 million cost-share effort with the U.S. Navy and OSC validated a 10-inch HLG motor design
Ursa Major has completed a Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) Manufacturing Pathfinder Program conducted with the U.S. Navy and the Office of Strategic Capital (OSC). The cost-share program concluded on schedule in February 2026 and represented a $25 million joint investment by Ursa Major, the Navy, and OSC.
Over the course of the program, Ursa Major designed, manufactured, and static-fired a Highly Loaded Grain (HLG) 10-inch SRM prototype and developed and characterized an in-house propellant for the motor. The motor met all performance objectives and burn duration requirements, giving the company a technical and manufacturing foundation for future Navy systems that require a 10-inch-diameter SRM.
“In partnership with the Navy and OSC, we translated capital into real, measurable outcomes that scaled manufacturing capacity and advanced a production model built for speed and surge,” said Chris Spagnoletti, Chief Executive Officer at Ursa Major.
“This program validated that when the government invests in companies that are used to doing more with less, companies that prioritize execution, innovation, and manufacturability from day one, you get capability that matters on timelines that matter. That’s how we rebuild the defense industrial base, and how we deliver credible, scalable capability to the joint force.”
Facility investment and process changes
Ursa Major put program funding toward expanding its facilities and refining its SRM production processes. Milestones were structured to serve as a pathfinder for larger motor systems. The program also advanced the company’s common, modular manufacturing process, known as Lynx, which relies on HLG and allows subsystem commonality across components.
Ursa Major said the approach cuts tooling costs and lead times while adding flexibility across multiple motor variants, positioning the company to scale production to meet Navy demand for solid rocket motors.
Work with Navy commands
The program was carried out with the Naval Air Weapons Center Weapons Division at China Lake, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division, and Naval acquisitions, coordinating development, technical execution, and mission requirements.
Ursa Major said the work supported the Department of Defense’s Strategic Objective Needs by targeting manufacturability and rapid qualification of SRM technologies for missile and rocket systems across the joint force.
