America’s Golden Dome: SpaceX’s Role in Trump’s Defence Plan Raises Eyebrows

Elon Musk’s SpaceX, in cooperation with Palantir and Anduril, has become one of the leading contenders for developing the U.S. missile defence system Golden Dome. President Trump initiated the large-scale project earlier this year, which involves deploying hundreds of satellites to detect and destroy enemy missiles from space.

U.S. Initiates Space Defence vs. Potential Air Threats

On 27 January, during the signing of his Executive Order on Strengthening National Security, President Trump called a missile attack “the most catastrophic threat facing the United States.”

The document states that America’s current priority is to create a space shield against ballistic, hypersonic and cruise missiles.

“I am focused on building the most powerful military of the future,” Trump said during his address to a joint session of Congress on 4 March. “As a first step, I’m asking Congress to fund a state-of-the-art Golden Dome missile defence shield to protect our homeland – all made in the United States.”

The project was initially called “Iron Dome for America.” However, it was soon renamed “Gold Dome” to reflect its broader scope and ambitious vision.

Trump Expands ‘Golden Dome’ Plan With New Budget, Leadership and Deadline

Donald Trump has officially announced the first phase of his Golden Dome missile defence initiative, confirming a $175 billion commitment to build a space-based interception system by January 2029. Speaking from the White House, Trump described the project as a “national shield” against hypersonic and orbital threats, with an initial $25 billion already requested from Congress to begin procurement and early system testing.

General Michael Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force has been named to lead the programme, placing it under military command. Guetlein previously oversaw classified satellite operations and is expected to work closely with major aerospace contractors, including SpaceX and Lockheed Martin.

The announcement has triggered sharp responses abroad. China has warned that the Golden Dome could destabilise global security by accelerating a new arms race in orbit. Russian officials struck a more restrained tone, suggesting the move could revive dormant arms control talks. Canada has indicated it may seek direct involvement in the project. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office confirmed that discussions are underway about potential collaboration, citing shared North American security priorities.

The original Golden Dome concept, first outlined in April, proposed a constellation of satellites and orbital interceptors. This week’s announcement marks a significant escalation, adding formal timelines, command structure, and funding detail to what is now the most ambitious missile defence programme in U.S. history and will be the first American weapon in space.

Transporter-14, expected to carry early test hardware, remains on schedule for June 2025. The White House has yet to confirm which technologies will fly first.

Who Will Build America’s Space Shield?

The budget request is known to have several delivery dates for the assets, starting in early 2026 and ending with those to be delivered after 2030.

More than 180 companies, including major defence contractors and startups, are interested in the project. Lockheed Martin, RTX, L3Harris Technologies, and Northrop Grumman have indicated their willingness to contribute their expertise and technology to the project.

In addition, companies specialising in drone warfare and electronic warfare systems are exploring ways to integrate their technologies into the broader defence framework envisioned by the initiative.

However, according to an exclusive report published by Reuters, the tender to build the Golden Dome missile defence shield was won by SpaceX.

The consortium of creators of the future defence system includes Elon Musk‘s company, software manufacturer Palantir, and drone manufacturer Anduril.

Coincidentally (or not), the founders of all three companies were prominent political supporters and generous contributors to Trump’s election campaign. Musk alone donated nearly $250 million to Trump.

At the same time, some sources emphasised that Trump’s final decision on the Golden Dome contractors has not yet been made and could change dramatically in the coming months.

A New Vision for U.S. Missile Defence

Under the current vision, the project involves developing, producing and deploying a constellation of satellites in orbit to detect and neutralise external missile threats.

SpaceX is expected to be responsible for the “guardianship layer” portion of the project. It will use a constellation of between 400 and 1,000 satellites to detect missile launches worldwide, track their trajectory and determine if they threaten the US.

Data from the early detection satellites will power a separate fleet of 200 strike satellites armed with missiles or lasers that should shoot down enemy missiles.

SpaceX estimates the cost of its preliminary engineering and design work at between $6 billion and $10 billion. Musk’s company is expected not to be involved in the development and production of armed interceptor satellites.

“Golden Dome” Integrates Existing U.S. Missile Defence Programs

Defence officials are currently working to integrate existing defence programs, such as the Hypersonic Ballistic Space Tracking Sensors (HBTSS) and the Proliferated Weapons Space Architecture (PWSA), into the Golden Dome framework. Both programs are already focused on early warning and tracking advanced missile threats.

These efforts are led primarily by the Missile Defence Agency (MDA) and the U.S. Space Force. Major defence contractors, including Raytheon, are expected to play a significant role in building and deploying the system.

SpaceX, meanwhile, has a successful partnership track with the Pentagon and has launched hundreds of spy satellites for the military over the past five years. Some of them will also be involved in the Gold Dome.

Can The Iron Dome Become The Golden Dome?

Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system served as an inspiration for the American Golden Dome project.

Especially since the U.S. was heavily involved in its creation and contributed $1.6 billion to the project before it became operational in 2011.

 “Iron Dome,” a mobile all-weather air defence system, has proven remarkably effective at intercepting and destroying short-range missiles and artillery shells fired from 2 to 43 miles away.

It comprises detection and tracking radar, battle management and weapons control, and a missile firing unit.

“Israel has it, other countries have it, and the United States should have it too”, Donald Trump said.

Challenges And Objections From Sceptics

“Golden Dome” may redefine U.S. missile defence by combining private innovation with national security. Still, it has faced several serious challenges and concerns from the outset that must be addressed as the project progresses.

Technological Challenges

On the technical side, one of the biggest hurdles is the system’s ability to intercept advanced missiles.

Unlike Israel’s Iron Dome, Golden Dome is designed to counter long-range weapons such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Technically, this is a much more complex task.

In addition, the system must defend against manoeuvrable threats such as cruise missiles and hypersonic weapons that can change direction during flight, making them extremely difficult to track and intercept.

However, it is essential to remember that the area the U.S. must “cover” with the Golden Dome is nearly 500 times the size of Israel.

To effectively neutralise these threats, Golden Dome will rely heavily on space-based radars, lasers, and interceptors.

However, this reliance on space-based components creates new vulnerabilities, as these assets could be targeted by enemy anti-satellite weapons that are much cheaper and easier to deploy.

There is also a risk that the system could be overwhelmed by a large-scale attack, where multiple missiles would be launched simultaneously to saturate and bypass the defences.

Organisational And Political Challenges

Achieving the project’s goals will require a layered defence network that integrates air, land, sea, and space assets.

According to General Michael Getlein, deputy U.S. Space Operations Force chief, the project will require unprecedented cooperation between defence and intelligence agencies.

He does not rule out the need for the country to “break down the barriers” between federal laws governing national defence and covert operations.

This enormous scope poses serious coordination and management challenges.

Given the scale of the project, the MDA may not have enough authority and capability. They need the Space Force to build space capabilities and the Air Force and Army to manage counter-drone systems.

In addition, the National Reconnaissance Office’s resources, which manage U.S. spy satellites, cannot be dispensed with to meet the project’s objectives.

Getlein said that, in this regard, talks are underway to create a special organisation to oversee the development and implementation of the Golden Dome.

In addition, creating such a system could ignite global tensions and possibly trigger a new arms race.

Defence experts are also assessing how the deployment of the Golden Dome could affect the decades-old delicate balance of nuclear deterrence.

Economic Factors

According to experts, the Golden Dome’s total cost may reach hundreds of billions of dollars.

One key problem for such projects is economic efficiency. Systems to neutralise approaching threats use interceptor missiles, which are much more expensive than the air targets designed to destroy them.

This raises the question of the financial sustainability of the entire defence system in the long term, since, according to estimates by representatives of the Ministry of Defence, it will take at least seven years to build and commission a functioning system.

That said, even if the government can secure stable and significant funding, the Golden Dome can only protect major cities and critical government infrastructure. And that would leave many neighbourhoods and critical facilities vulnerable.

SpaceX has reportedly offered to establish its role in the Golden Dome as a subscription service. The government would pay for access to the technology, transferring ownership from the government to the vendor.

However, a number of Pentagon officials have expressed internal concerns about using such an economic model. The concept seems unusual and questionable relative to the oversight and long-term costs of an extensive national-scale defence program.

Congress also raised concerns about possible conflicts of interest due to Musk’s dual role as a contractor and exceptional government employee.