US Space Force selects Johns Hopkins APL as technical director for interceptor program

The U.S. Space Force has appointed the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) as the technical direction agent for its Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) program. APL will serve as an independent advisor, preserving consistency across the program’s system architecture and managing technical interface documents that link ground, fire‑control and orbital segments as multiple commercial partners develop the system.

The SBI program seeks to field a proliferated constellation of low‑Earth‑orbit interceptors capable of engaging missile threats during the boost, mid‑course and glide phases of flight, supporting the broader “Golden Dome for America” missile‑defense initiative. It uses a prize‑based acquisition structure in which companies make early investments and compete for additional funding as milestones are met. Operational‑security requirements limit further details.

Col. Bryon McClain, acting portfolio acquisition executive for space combat power, said the partnership “highlights the critical nature of University Affiliated Research Centers … to the success of these vital space programs.”