April 24 - The U.S. Space Force has awarded contracts worth up to $3.2 billion to 12 companies to develop space-based missile defense interceptor systems, advancing U.S. President Donald Trump's Golden Dome plan.
Golden Dome, expected to cost $185 billion, envisions expanding ground-based defenses such as interceptor missiles, sensors and command-and-control systems while adding space-based elements to detect, track and potentially counter incoming threats from orbit.
These would include advanced satellite
networks and still-debated orbital weaponry.
The Space Force granted initial prototype agreements to develop space-based interceptors capable of neutralizing missile threats shortly after launch, marking a significant shift in U.S. missile defense strategy.
Unlike existing ground-based systems, the Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) program deploys weapons in orbit, enabling the U.S. military to engage and destroy threats earlier in their flight path.
In late 2025 and early 2026, Space Force's Space Systems Command awarded 20 agreements to companies including SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Anduril, with a potential combined award value of up to $3.2 billion to "ensure the government maintains contracting flexibility to award to the best provider," according to a statement from the Space Force.
The program aims to develop a space-based missile defense interceptor system that will demonstrate an integrated capability within the Golden Dome for America architecture by 2028.
The Space Force also awarded about half a dozen small Golden Dome contracts to build competing missile defense prototypes, kicking off a race for future deals worth tens of billions of dollars, Reuters reported in November.
(Reporting by Juby Babu in Mexico City; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
