Considering President Donald Trump tried to build a wall across the Mexican border, the idea of covering the United States of America in a massive dome isn’t even the most outlandish thing he’s suggested. While he’s not going to put an actual dome over us all, his metaphorical Golden Dome is set to secure the country against potential missile attacks from foreign enemies.
What is Donald Trump’s Golden Dome?
Inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome, that’s been in operation since 2011, Trump’s Golden Dome is said to be a network of satellites that will detect, track, and presumably intercept missiles that are heading toward the US.
Trump claims that Canada also wants in on the dome, although he’s only said he’ll help where he can.
This is an extension of Ronald Reagan’s proposal for the incomplete ‘Star Wars’ system that was imagined as a defense system against attacks from the USSR.
Space Force General Michael Guetlein will lead the program, with the Pentagon saying Trump has been presented with three options for a small, medium, or large dome.According to Reuters, two sources have claimed that SpaceX is pitching for part of the Golden Dome contract known as the ‘custody layer’. This could be a constellation of satellites that would detect and track missiles while determining if they pose a threat to the US.
The outlet suggests that SpaceX has estimated preliminary design and engineering on the custody layer would be between $6 billion and $10 billion, which would a be a sizeable chunk of the $25 billion Trump has already put aside for the Golden Dome. If successful, SpaceX could retrofit some of the spy satellites it’s already launched over the years.
While the lucrative contract could see Mr. Musk line his pockets with even more billions, the idea of SpaceX being a cornerstone of the Golden Dome alongside software maker Palantir and drone builder Anduril is one that’s already been denied.
Musk quickly jumped onto the Reuters story on X and simply wrote: “This is not true.”
In an earlier post, he reiterated that SpaceX will remain focused on his mission to explore the stars, adding: “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.”
If SpaceX is out for the count, could Musk rival Jeff Bezos take on the challenge with Blue Origin? Either way, whoever lands the contract is sure to strike it lucky.
