Layoffs hit rocket engine maker Ursa Major

Update: Ursa Major confirmed to CNBC that layoffs had occurred, which sources cited put at around 80 people, or more than a quarter of the company’s workforce.

At least 14 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 Major.

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.

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