Ursa Major And Transforming The Propulsion Industry

Dan Jablonsky is the CEO of Ursa Major. Ursa Major is an American rocket propulsion company serving every sector of aerospace—from space launch to hypersonic applications. Its differentiated value proposition lies in a flexible, vehicle-agnostic design capable of supporting a broad range of commercial and defense customers. Jablonsky has been a senior leader in the aerospace and defense industry for over a decade. He was former CEO and President of Maxar Technologies—a publicly traded space and intelligence company he led through a turnaround and $6.4 billion take-private transaction.

In this conversation with Brave Capital’s Joe Addiego, Jablonsky discusses how the company is addressing critical gaps in national propulsion capabilities across every sector of aerospace—from space launch to hypersonic applications. He explains why propulsion is essential for strategic deterrence, how Ursa Major achieves cost advantages through agile manufacturing, and the importance of solving real customer problems rather than simply pushing technology.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership Is Forged Through Continuous Testing

  Jablonsky credits the Navy and early career roles with exposing him to high-stakes responsibility and teaching him how to lead teams, manage complexity, and perform under pressure.

• Successful M&A Requires Rigor and Cultural Fit

  Most deals fail without disciplined diligence, strategic alignment, and a shared culture—lessons Jablonsky applied while growing and later restructuring Maxar.

• Propulsion Is a Strategic Bottleneck in U.S. Defense

  From hypersonics to space mobility and interceptors, propulsion determines whether systems can respond to and deter threats—areas where the U.S. must rebuild industrial capacity.

• Advanced Manufacturing Unlocks Speed and Scale

  Ursa Major uses additive manufacturing and rapid iteration to reduce cost, accelerate testing, and move from prototypes to production, enabling the U.S. to replenish critical missile stockpiles and develop new capabilities faster.