US President Donald Trump has announced the selection of a design for the missile defense shield valued at $175 billion, called Golden Dome, to intercept missiles at all stages of flight, even those launched from space. The vice chief of space operations, General Michael Guetlein, will oversee the program’s development.
The system is designed to block advanced missiles developed by countries like China and Russia. Golden Dome aims to detect and destroy missiles before launch, intercept them in the early and mid-stage of flight, and halt them in the final minutes of descent. The system’s architecture consists of satellites, sensors, and, for the first time, space-based interceptors.
Gen. Chance Saltzman, head of the U.S. Space Force, highlighted the novel nature of the space-based weapons, representing missions never before accomplished by military space organizations.
According to the president, states like Alaska, Florida, Georgia, and Indiana are expected to benefit from the program, with existing production lines from companies like L3Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin, and RTX Corp.
The announcement marks the commencement of the Pentagon’s efforts to test and acquire the necessary missiles, systems, sensors, and satellites.
L3 has invested $150 million in building out its new facility in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where it makes the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor satellites that are part of the US government’s effort to better detect and track hypersonic weapons with space-based sensors and could be adapted for Golden Dome.
The projected operational date is January 2029, though industry experts express skepticism about the timeline and overall cost.
However, The Golden Dome program is also facing both political and financial hurdles. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink acknowledged that the project is still in the conceptual stage and lacks funding.
While the initial cost is estimated at $175 billion, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the space-based components alone could cost over $542 billion over the next two decades. Trump has requested an initial $25 billion in his proposed tax break bill. In addition, Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns regarding the procurement process, particularly the involvement of companies like SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril.
On the other hand, the proposal has also drawn criticism, particularly from China and Russia, who view it as deeply destabilizing and warn that it could turn space into a theater of armed conflict.
