Draper Liquid Rocket Engine’s First Flight

May 1, 2026

Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH
www.afrl.af.mil

The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Ursa Major recently executed a flight of the Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator (ARMD) powered by the Draper liquid rocket engine, achieving supersonic speeds and demonstrating concepts of operations.

This achievement is a critical program milestone for Ursa Major’s leadership, who emphasized their shared commitment to the speed and cost-effectiveness of the ARMD program. The project represents a new paradigm of acceleration of research and development of critical defense technologies rooted in fast-paced, effective public-private partnerships.

“This flight proves that you can get a vehicle with a safe, storable and throttleable liquid engine in the air quickly and affordably,” said Chris Spagnoletti, CEO, Ursa Major. “We went from contract to flight-ready of an all up round and propulsion system in just eight months.”

The demonstration of the Draper liquid rocket engine leverages several years of work made by Ursa Major on their Hadley liquid rocket engine.

“ARMD represents a key milestone in our efforts to develop revolutionary, affordable and scalable liquid rocket engine technologies to win the wars of tomorrow,” said AFRL Rocket Propulsion Division Chief Dr. Javier Urzay.

Ursa Major is on contract with AFRL to advance the characterization of the Draper liquid rocket engine in flight.

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