Trump's Golden Dome missile defence program explores new partners beyond Musk's SpaceX

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5 days ago

This move reflects a strategic shift away from sole reliance on Musk's SpaceX, whose Starlink and Starshield satellite networks have played a key role in US military communications read more
US President Donald Trump makes an announcement regarding the Golden Dome missile defense shield next to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US. File image/Reuters
The Trump administration is broadening its search for partners to develop the Golden Dome missile defence system, engaging Amazon.com's Project Kuiper and major defence contractors, as its relationship with Elon Musk becomes increasingly strained, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
This move reflects a strategic shift away from sole reliance on Musk's SpaceX, whose Starlink and Starshield satellite networks have played a key role in US military communications.
It coincides with Trump and Musk's worsening relationship, which reached a breaking point on June 5. Even before the spat, Pentagon and White House officials were looking into alternatives to SpaceX, concerned about relying too heavily on a single partner for large portions of the ambitious $175 billion space-based defence shield, according to two sources.
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Also Read: Trump explored ways to cut contracts with Elon Musk's SpaceX after fallout but failed: Report
Musk and SpaceX have not responded to requests for comment. After Reuters initially reported that SpaceX was a frontrunner to build parts of the Golden Dome, Musk stated on X that the company had 'not tried to bid for any contract in this regard. Our strong preference would be to stay focused on taking humanity to Mars.'
Due to its size, track record of launching more than 9,000 of its own Starlink satellites, and experience in government procurement, SpaceX still has the inside track to assist with major portions of the Golden Dome, especially launch contracts, sources say.
Project Kuiper, which has launched just 78 of a planned constellation of 3,000 low-earth orbit satellites, has been approached by the Pentagon to join the effort, signaling the administration's openness to integrating commercial tech firms into national defense infrastructure and going beyond traditional defense players.
Jeff Bezos, Amazon's executive chairman, told Reuters in January that Kuiper would be 'primarily commercial,' but acknowledged 'there will be defense uses for these [low-earth orbit] constellations, no doubt.'
A spokesperson for Project Kuiper declined to comment for this story. The Pentagon declined to comment. The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Golden Dome's ambitions mirror those of Israel's Iron Dome - a homeland missile defense shield - but a larger, more complex layered defense system requires a vast network of orbiting satellites covering more territory.
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In the search for more vendors for the satellite layers of Golden Dome, 'Kuiper is a big one,' a US official said.
While SpaceX remains a frontrunner due to its unmatched launch capabilities, its share of the program could shrink, two of the people said. Officials have reached out to new entrants like rocket companies Stoke Space and Rocket Lab are gaining traction and will be able to bid on individual launches as the program matures, according to the US official.
Later in the development of Golden Dome 'each individual launch is going to get bid, and we have to actually give bids to other people,' besides SpaceX, the official said.
Need for satellites
There is an urgent need for more satellite production. Last year Congress gave Space Force a $13 billion mandate - up from $900 million - to buy satellite-based communication services in what was widely seen as one of many efforts to stimulate private sector satellite production.
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Amazon's Project Kuiper, a $10 billion initiative led by former Starlink managers dismissed by Musk for slow progress, Reuters has reported, has lagged behind SpaceX in deployment. But its potential defense applications - such as communications that could aid missile tracking - have drawn renewed interest as the administration prepares to allocate the first $25 billion tranche of funding authorized under Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill.
Traditional defense giants Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and L3Harris are also in talks to support Golden Dome. L3Harris CFO Kenneth Bedingfield told Reuters in an interview the company has seen a surge in interest in its missile warning and tracking technologies, which are expected to play a key role in the system.
Northrop, meanwhile, is pursuing several efforts including a space-based interceptor, a component that would enable missile strikes from orbit, Robert Flemming, the head of the company's space business, told Reuters in an interview.
'Lockheed Martin is ready to support Golden Dome for America as a proven mission partner,' Robert Lightfoot, president of Lockheed Martin Space, said in a statement.
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Golden Dome's initial outreach this spring invited smaller, newer Silicon Valley firms seen as nimbler, more sophisticated and potentially less expensive alternatives to the big defense firms to the table - but that was before the Musk-Trump feud upended that calculus.
Several with close ties to Trump aside from SpaceX, including Palantir and Anduril - were considered early frontrunners to win big pieces of the $175 billion project.
But the Musk-Trump feud has reshaped the competitive landscape. Musk recently launched the 'America Party,' a tech-centric, centrist political movement aimed at defeating Republicans who backed Trump's tax-and-spend agenda.
Rapid timeframe
Trump launched the Golden Dome initiative just a week into his second term, pushing for rapid deployment. Space Force General Michael Guetlein, confirmed by the Senate on July 17, is set to lead the program with sweeping authority.
Under a previously unreported directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Guetlein has 30 days from confirmation to build a team, 60 days to deliver an initial system design, and 120 days to present a full implementation plan, including satellite and ground station details, two people briefed on the memo said.
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The inclusion of commercial platforms like Kuiper raises security concerns. Its satellites would need to be hardened against cyberattacks and electronic warfare, a challenge that has plagued even SpaceX's Starlink network. In May 2024, Elon Musk said SpaceX was spending 'significant resources combating Russian jamming efforts. This is a tough problem.'
Beyond the technical and political challenges, Golden Dome could reshape global security dynamics. A fully operational space-based missile shield may prompt adversaries to develop new offensive capabilities or accelerate the militarization of space.