Ursa Major has entered into an agreement with the US Navy to produce a new, 3D-printed solid rocket motor for the Standard Missile (SM) program.
The Colorado-based firm said it was tapped to develop a new design for the workhorse Mk-104 dual rocket motor currently installed on the navy’s SM-2, SM-3, and SM-6 missiles.
Because production of the high-performance motor is time-consuming, Ursa will use revolutionary manufacturing tech called “Lynx” to expedite the process.
The Lynx reportedly leverages additive manufacturing to design a solid rocket motor with added manufacturability and reliability.
“We are proud of the Navy’s support and recognition of Ursa Major as a trusted partner to develop the next generation of Mk-104 solid rocket motors,” company chief executive Joe Laurienti said.
Ursa Major will coordinate with the Program Executive Office – Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO-IWS), Naval Air Warfare Center, and the Naval Surface Warfare Center on the initiative.
‘A Top Priority’
The US is reportedly facing high demand for solid rocket motors to power various missile systems.
This is exacerbated by the shortage of domestic suppliers and the need to continue supporting Ukraine in its ongoing war.
Because of this, PEO-IWS director Captain Thomas Seigenthaler said scaling production of missile motors has become a top priority for the navy.
“PEO IWS is excited to work with Ursa Major on this effort to bolster a critical component of the nation’s industrial base,” he said. “We are impressed with Ursa Major’s innovative approach to address manufacturing challenges.”
Lynx Technology
Introduced in 2023, Lynx technology was built to produce solid rocket motors without expensive or time-consuming re-tooling or re-training.
It uses additive manufacturing and a product-agnostic tooling system to scale the process.
Ursa described the tech as an important new tool capable of helping the US eliminate bottlenecks in rocket production.
“Our new approach to manufacturing allows Ursa Major to quickly develop high-performing motors at scale, driving volume and cost efficiencies to address this critical national need,” Laurienti said.