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US Golden Dome missile defense program development

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2026-09-02 03:28 UTC → 2026-09-14 02:07 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The United States is advancing the Golden Dome space-based missile defense program, an initiative announced by President Donald Trump in May 2025. Overseen by the U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command, the program is projected to cost approximately $185 billion. Contracts worth up to $3.2 billion have been awarded to twelve firms, including SpaceX, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and the startup Apex, to develop interceptor prototypes and an orbital magazine. Technically, the program has reached significant milestones. Recent testing involving real hardware successfully intercepted all targets within 34 minutes. Previous integrated tests at the White Sands Missile Range confirmed that sensors, communications networks, and defensive weapons can successfully integrate. The program is currently developing its first operational site at Joint Expeditionary Base Fort Story, Virginia, and aims to achieve an initial integrated capability by the summer of 2028. Despite technical progress, the program faces financial volatility. While the Department of Defense requested $17.5 billion for fiscal year 2027, U.S. Space Force General Michael Guetlein warned at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium that operations could face a halt on October 1, 2026, unless Congress secures new appropriations. In August 2026, the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) expanded the program through the SHIELD contract vehicle, a 10-year initiative with a potential value of $151 billion. New developments include Seattle-based startup Gravitics working on an “orbital carrier,” described as an experimental “space mothership” designed to deploy satellites, drones, and interceptors from orbit. Furthermore, Japanese startup Skygate Technologies has partnered with U.S.-based Forward Edge-AI to integrate the “Alayasiki” AI defense system, focusing on situational awareness and interoperability in the Indo-Pacific region. By September 2026, the scope of the “Golden Dome for America” (GDA) has been further clarified under Executive Order 14186.

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