Skip to main content

Layoffs hit rocket engine maker Ursa Major

At least five people have been laid off from rocket engine startup Ursa Major, with one person citing budgetary constraints as the reason for being let go, according to posts on LinkedIn.

Ursa Major did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s inquiry into the layoffs, or the number of people affected. According to LinkedIn, 292 people are listed as currently working at Ursa.

This makes Ursa Major the latest company to be hit by major market headwinds that have affected some of the biggest names in technology. Among those laid off include engineers working in propulsion, the company’s bread-and-butter, and quality analysis.

Ursa Major is a Berthoud, Colorado-based startup developing liquid engines for rocket and hypersonic applications. The company is developing a 5,000-pound thrust Hadley engine and a 50,000-pound thrust engine called Ripley. Just recently, the company announced an “eight-figure” contract to further the development of two new engines: a Draper engine for hypersonic and a 200,000-pound thrust Arroway engine.

In April, the company also announced that it would supply the upper stage engine for Astra Space’s in-development Rocket 4. Ursa Major said it makes around 30 Hadley engines per year for several customers, including Stratolaunch and Phantom Space.

Ursa Major currently has five open positions listed on its website.

Developing…

Layoffs hit rocket engine maker Ursa Major by Aria Alamalhodaei originally published on TechCrunch



source https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/07/layoffs-hit-rocket-engine-maker-ursa-major/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Silent Revolution of On-Device AI: Why the Cloud Is No Longer King

Introduction For years, artificial intelligence has meant one thing: the cloud. Whether you’re asking ChatGPT a question, editing a photo with AI tools, or getting recommendations on Netflix — those decisions happen on distant servers, not your device. But that’s changing. Thanks to major advances in silicon, model compression, and memory architecture, AI is quietly migrating from giant data centres to the palm of your hand. Your phone, your laptop, your smartwatch — all are becoming AI engines in their own right. It’s a shift that redefines not just how AI works, but who controls it, how private it is, and what it can do for you. This article explores the rise of on-device AI — how it works, why it matters, and why the cloud’s days as the centre of the AI universe might be numbered. What Is On-Device AI? On-device AI refers to machine learning models that run locally on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or edge device — without needing constant access to the cloud. In practi...
1 comment
Read more

Apple’s AI Push: Everything We Know About Apple Intelligence So Far

Apple’s WWDC 2025 confirmed what many suspected: Apple is finally making a serious leap into artificial intelligence. Dubbed “Apple Intelligence,” the suite of AI-powered tools, enhancements, and integrations marks the company’s biggest software evolution in a decade. But unlike competitors racing to plug AI into everything, Apple is taking a slower, more deliberate approach — one rooted in privacy, on-device processing, and ecosystem synergy. If you’re wondering what Apple Intelligence actually is, how it works, and what it means for your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, you’re in the right place. This article breaks it all down.   What Is Apple Intelligence? Let’s get the terminology clear first. Apple Intelligence isn’t a product — it’s a platform. It’s not just a chatbot. It’s a system-wide integration of generative AI, machine learning, and personal context awareness, embedded across Apple’s OS platforms. Think of it as a foundational AI layer stitched into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and m...
Post a Comment
Read more

Max Q: Anomalous

Hello and welcome back to Max Q! Last week wasn’t the most successful for spaceflight missions. We’ll get into that a bit more below. In this issue: First up, a botched launch from Virgin Orbit… …followed by one from ABL Space Systems News from Rocket Lab, World View and more Virgin Orbit’s botched launch highlights shaky financial future After Virgin Orbit’s launch failure last Monday, during which the mission experienced an  “anomaly” that prevented the rocket from reaching orbit, I went back over the company’s financials — and things aren’t looking good. For Virgin Orbit, this year has likely been completely turned on its head. The company was aiming for three launches this year, but everything will remain grounded until the cause of the anomaly has been identified and resolved. It’s unclear how long that will take, but likely at least three months. Add this delay to Virgin’s dwindling cash reserves and you have a foundation that’s suddenly much shakier than before. ...
Post a Comment
Read more