BERTHOUD – November 12, 2026 -- The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has exercised a $10.9 million option on Ursa Major's contract to continue development of Draper, a storable liquid rocket engine for hypersonic applications. The option follows successful flights of the Affordable Rapid Missile Demonstrator, which flew under the same contract.
The order of events is the signal for contractors and investors: AFRL committed the additional funds after the demonstrator flights, not before them.
Ursa Major did not disclose the base contract value, so the share of total funding that this option represents cannot be calculated.
Draper is one of three hypersonic products the company lists. The Hadley liquid rocket engine powers the DoW's hypersonic test bed. Draper, which the company describes as storable and tactical, has flown with AFRL. The HAVOC Missile System is the company's hypersonic and long-range precision strike all-up round. The release ties the new funding to Draper only and does not mention Hadley or HAVOC. Ursa Major says it has flown its hypersonic systems more than a dozen times.
President Jason Meredith said Draper is "at the heart of our hypersonics work" and that AFRL and the U.S. Air Force have been partners "from day one." He said the award moves the company closer to putting capability in the hands of the warfighter.