Latest news with #HBTSS
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
The next big venture: What is the Golden Dome that reports say Elon Musk is building for Donald Trump? Here's how much it will cost and what the Tesla CEO is saying
What is Donald Trump's Golden Dome and why is it making headlines? Is Elon Musk's SpaceX really joining Trump's Golden Dome project? Live Events 'SpaceX has not tried to bid for any contract in this regard. Our strong preference would be to stay focused on taking humanity to Mars. 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.' What would the Golden Dome actually do and how much would it cost? Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) Why is the global defense market booming right now? Russia's invasion of Ukraine Tensions in Asia, especially around China and North Korea Middle East instability Europe's defense spending rose 11.7%, reaching $457 billion. Asia-Pacific nations like Japan, India, South Korea, and Australia all increased their defense budgets significantly. The United States allocated $832.3 billion for defense in its 2025 budget. China's defense spending reached $246 billion, up 7.2%. Japan approved $55.1 billion, up 9.4%. India's defense budget grew to $78.57 billion, marking a 9.5% rise. Could this be Elon Musk's next big business venture? What's next for Trump's Golden Dome project? (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Just months after returning to the White House, President Donald Trump announced one of the most ambitious defense programs in U.S. history—the 'Golden Dome.' And now, the buzz is around whether tech billionaire Elon Musk is joining this $2.5 trillion venture, raising the stakes in what's already a booming defense Trump envisions a massive space-based missile shield, recent reports hint at SpaceX , Musk's rocket company, playing a major role. But is he actually in, or is it all speculation? Let's break it down in simple terms—what the Golden Dome is, how much it could cost, who's involved, and whether Musk is making a move into the trillion-dollar defense January 27, 2025, just days after returning to office, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the development of a massive space-based missile defense program—officially named the. The idea? To build a protective shield that can detect and destroy incoming threats like ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, and advanced cruise missiles before they reach U.S. to the order, Trump wants this system to cover threats from "peer, near-peer, and rogue adversaries"—understood to mean. The Golden Dome would include hundreds, potentially thousands, of satellites in low Earth orbit, advanced radar systems, orbital interceptors, and maybe even futuristic tech likeThe big question buzzing around headlines: Is SpaceX getting involved in Trump's Golden Dome?According to Reuters, Musk's company SpaceX is reportedly teaming up with Palantir (data software firm) and Anduril (a defense startup focused on drones and AI-based security systems) to design key components for the defense trio reportedly plans to deploy 400 to 1,000 satellites to track missile activity around the world. While some satellites will simply track and monitor, others could potentially carry weapons to intercept hostile missiles. But Musk says something a post on X (formerly Twitter), Musk denied these claims, saying:So, while SpaceX might be technically capable of building part of the infrastructure—like the satellite tracking layer—Musk hasn't confirmed any formal involvement as of built, thewould work by tracking enemy missiles during their, the few moments after a missile is launched. This is the most vulnerable time to stop do this, the system would need aconstantly orbiting the Earth, along with advanced ground stations and control systems. It would also depend on programs like:Trump's defense team believes this could cost, depending on how advanced and expansive the system becomes. The project is still in its, and no contracts have been publicly awarded reports suggest the model could work like a—where the government pays for access to private satellite data instead of owning the entire system isn't happening in a vacuum. Global military spending hit a record high of $2.46 trillion in 2024, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). This surge is being driven by several factors:In 2024 alone:Trump has also asked NATO allies to spend at least 5% of their GDP on defense, which is pushing Europe toward even more spending, including a massive €800 billion ReArm Europe Plan led by European Commission President Ursula von der though Musk has denied direct involvement, the defense market is clearly attractive. His companies already dominate in electric vehicles (Tesla) and space transportation (SpaceX). Moving into military and defense tech seems like a logical next step—especially as the U.S. and its allies pour trillions into new security ties to Trump are also no secret. Musk has reportedly donated more than $250 million to Trump's campaign and is now serving as a special adviser in the Department of Government if SpaceX doesn't build weapons, it may still play a major role in missile tracking, satellite launches, and infrastructure for U.S. military systems. And with private defense contracts now more lucrative than ever, that could turn into a multi-billion-dollar stream for Musk's now, the Golden Dome is still in its early planning stage. The Pentagon has been asked to deliver architectural plans within 60 days of the January 27 order, and insiders say companies like SpaceX, Palantir, and Anduril are seen as top contenders for building parts of there's a lot still undecided—how it'll be structured, which companies will be selected, and how it'll be funded. The Biden administration had previously scaled back some space-defense ambitions, but under Trump, the focus has shifted back toward space dominance.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
L3Harris pitches full-rate production for missile tracking sensor
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — An L3Harris executive said Wednesday the company's newest missile-tracking sensor is ready for full-rate production as the Pentagon weighs architecture options for a next-generation 'Golden Dome' missile defense capability. Developed for the Missile Defense Agency's Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor program, HBTSS, the L3Harris satellite has been on orbit since February 2024. According to MDA, the spacecraft is providing important test data and imagery of hypersonic test events. Speaking with reporters April 9 at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Ed Zoiss, president of space and airborne systems at L3Harris, said the company is ready to start producing the HBTSS sensor in high volumes. 'The sensor has proven itself out, and we need to start full-rate production,' he said. 'We're ready to do it now.' In an executive order signed just one week into his second term, President Donald Trump directed the Pentagon to start making plans for a Golden Dome missile defense capability made up of advanced sensors and interceptors designed to track and neutralize both traditional and high-end missile threats. In response, the Space Force, Missile Defense Agency, National Reconnaissance Office and other Defense Department agencies have been crafting options for achieving that vision. They've also reached out to the defense industry for ideas. Zoiss said L3Harris proposed increased HBTSS production as part of its response to DOD's call for input. 'We put in an architecture that we recommend for HBTSS and how we would see it to have global coverage,' he said. 'We're waiting to see what comes back.' Space Development Agency launches study on Trump's Iron Dome order An increase in HBTSS production would be a shift in how DOD officials have envisioned the sensor's role in space-based missile defense — at least publicly. MDA launched the capability in partnership with the Space Development Agency, which is building out a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit that can detect and track hypersonic and ballistic missile threats. That constellation will include tracking satellites equipped with wide-field-view sensors — built by L3Harris, Northrop Grumman and Sierra Space — and a smaller number of medium-field-of-view sensors like HBTSS, designed to track dimmer targets and send data to interceptors. SDA is buying the tracking satellites in batches, or tranches, and has awarded contracts for Tranche 0, 1 and 2. Zoiss said the medium-field-of-view sensors SDA is buying for Tranche 1 and 2 are essentially copies of the HBTSS capability. In a speech Wednesday at the symposium, MDA Deputy Director Maj. Gen. Jason Cothern said the agency looks forward to the capability being 'operationalized' by the Space Force and integrated into SDA's architecture. Cothern said HBTSS has, to date, demonstrated 'remarkable capability essential for missile defense.' MDA has used the satellite to track two separate hypersonic test flights and the sensor has collected more than 650,000 images of tailored test events and 'interesting real-world events,' he added. Missile Defense Agency satellites track first hypersonic launch As DOD considers how HBTSS might fit into its Golden Dome strategy, MDA has begun work on a follow-on capability, a Discriminating Space Sensor, or DSS. Whereas HBTSS was designed to track dimmer targets than traditional missile-warning sensors, DSS will help the Defense Department distinguish missile targets from enemy countermeasures, which are meant to make their advanced weapons harder to identify. MDA plans to launch a prototype by the end of the decade, though Cothern said budget deliberations — which will be informed by the department's Golden Dome approach — could shorten that timeline. 'The whole intent is to, like HBTSS, do an on-orbit demonstration of these discriminating capabilities to inform the future space-based architectures and what we need for next-generation missile defense,' he said. MDA Director Heath Collins said last year DSS had completed ground concept testing and was ready to move into the on-orbit demonstration phase. The agency requested funds for DSS in its fiscal 2025 budget, but the documents don't specify how much it asked for. Like HBTSS, the agency will lead prototype development and then work with the Space Force to transition DSS for operational use.
