SpaceX is in the lead to help President Donald Trump create the “Golden Dome” missile defense system, according to Reuters. The Elon Musk-owned company is reportedly working with the data analysis firm Palantir and the defense company Anduril to build “key parts” of the Golden Dome that, like Israel’s Iron Dome, would intercept and destroy incoming missiles.
As reported by Reuters, the companies proposed launching 400 to more than 1,000 satellites to sense and track missiles. It would also have “a separate fleet of 200 attack satellites armed with missiles or lasers” to take down missiles. Trump signed an executive order in January to build the “Iron Dome for America,” but some estimate it could take years to implement.
Reuters notes that SpaceX likely won’t have anything to do with the “weaponization of satellites,” and would instead provide a constellation of satellites for missile tracking. SpaceX expects to spend $6 billion to $10 billion to build its portion of the system. It reportedly pitched its involvement as a subscription service that would require the government to continue paying for its satellites.
“SpaceX has not tried to bid for any contract in this regard,” Musk said in a reply to a post about the rumor on X. “If the President asks us to help in this regard, we will do so, but I hope that other companies (not SpaceX) can do this.”
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