BERTHOUD, Colorado, United States, February 2026 – Ursa Major has appointed Chris Spagnoletti as Chief Executive Officer.
Spagnoletti brings more than 30 years of experience developing and delivering critical systems for military and commercial aircraft, with leadership roles spanning engineering, operations, and business development. Since joining Ursa Major in 2022, most recently as President of Liquid Systems, he has advanced the company’s hypersonic and space programs.
“Over the past four years, Ursa Major has evolved from a startup into a trusted name in aerospace and defense,” said Chris Spagnoletti, CEO of Ursa Major. “We’ve flown hypersonic systems multiple times, designed and built the Draper engine and our first all-up round, and launched modernized solid rocket motor and in-space propulsion businesses. I’m honored to serve as CEO as we continue delivering critical capabilities to our customers at speed and scale.”
Prior to Ursa Major, Spagnoletti served as President of U.S. Cargo Systems, a TransDigm Group aerospace business, where he led teams delivering mission-critical aerospace solutions across defense and commercial markets. He succeeds Dan Jablonsky, who departs after leading a period of significant growth and technical achievement, including the company’s best year on record.
“After thoughtful consideration, the Board unanimously agreed to promote Chris Spagnoletti as the next CEO of Ursa Major,” said Ronald Sugar, member of Ursa Major’s Board of Directors and former CEO of Northrop Grumman. Lior Susan, Founding Partner of Eclipse, added that Spagnoletti is the kind of leader who can scale complex products and accelerate next-generation aerospace and national security technologies.
About Ursa Major
Ursa Major is an aerospace and defense company delivering flight-proven capabilities for hypersonics, solid rocket motors, space mobility, and launch. Headquartered in Berthoud, Colorado, with additive manufacturing operations in Youngstown, Ohio, the company leverages advanced production techniques and flexible architectures to build systems across land, air, sea, and space domains, supporting the U.S. and allied defense industrial base.
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