President Donald Trumpis buildinga Golden Dome missile defense shield, which will cost hundreds of billions of dollars to cover the entire globe and monitor enemy threats to the US.
The state-of-the-art defense structure could be up and running as early as 2026, with Elon Musk's SpaceX company partnering with software maker Palantir and drone builder Anduril to build key parts of the Golden Dome, six sources told Reuters.
SpaceX's integral involvement in the project - which is expected to cost Musk $10 billion - would include building and launching more than 1,000 satellites around the globe to sense missiles and track their movements.
Another trailblazing fleet of around 200 attack satellites armed with precision missiles or lasers would then bring down threatening enemy missiles, according to sources.
The decision process is still in its early days, and who is selected to work on certain elements could change - but the Pentagonsaid that parts of the Golden Dome could be operational from next year, with other parts delivered by 2030.
The protection system was ordered by Trump during his first week in office, and if successful, wouldmark the first time the U.S. would place weapons in spacethat are meant to destroy ground-based missiles within seconds of launch.
Trump warned that a missile attack is 'the most catastrophic threat facing the United States,' highlighting the need for such a revolutionary, orbital defense mechanism.
All three of the companies selected for the Golden Dome project were founded by entrepreneurs who have been supporters of Trump, with Musk also serving as a special adviser to the president as the chief of DOGE.
The Pentagon has reacted positively to SpaceX being involved in the project, which would build and launch hundreds of satellites around the globe to sense missiles and track them
Musk's SpaceX company is partnering with software maker Palantir and drone builder Anduril to build key parts of Golden Dome. The above image is AI generated
Defense Department officials will soon brief the president on three options for him to choose from, according to NBC News.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others will show him the plans in what has been referred to as 'Goldilocks options', small, medium and large, with each option coming with its own timeline and price tag, the outlet reported.
US Space Command said last week that they had handed their finalized options to Hegseth for his review and approval.
The three companies met with top officials in the Trump administration and the Pentagon recently to pitch their ideas.
One of the sources familiar with the talks described them as 'a departure from the usual acquisition process'.
'There's an attitude that the national security and defense community has to be sensitive and deferential to Elon Musk because of his role in the government', they said.
SpaceX has proposed that they set up Golden Dome as a 'subscription service', in which the government would pay for access to the tech, rather than own the whole system.
The subscription model could skirt some Pentagon procurement protocols allowing the system to be rolled out faster, the two sources said.
While the approach would not violate any rules, the government may then be locked into a subscription and lose control over its ongoing development and pricing, they added.
Some of those inside the Pentagon have expressed concerns about relying on such a model, with the arrangement unusual for such a large defense program.
The Pentagon received interest from over 180 companies keen to develop and build the system.
All three of the companies were founded by entrepreneurs who have been supporters of Trump, with Musk also serving as a special adviser to the president as the chief of DOGE
Rockets fired from Gaza and intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system over Israeli skies are seen from Gaza City, on May 13, 2023
Some experts believe it could cost hundreds of billions of dollars, SpaceX has estimated the preliminary engineering and design for the satellites would cost between $6 billion and $10 billion, two sources told Reuters.
In his January executive order, Trump gave the military 60 days to provide him recommendations on what an overall Golden Dome system would look like.
President Ronald Reagan had proposed a similar space-based defense system, but the Strategic Defense Initiative, known as Star Wars, didn't come to fruition.
The program was previously known as Iron Dome but was renamed by the Pentagon in February to Golden Dome and is modeled on Israel's own Iron Dome anti-missile system.
The system in Israel has been seen as a success in its job in warding off rocket and artillery attacks.
Developments in hypersonic missiles have prompted calls by the US military to develop more ways to defend against missile strikes.
SpaceX has proposed that they set up Golden Dome as a 'subscription service', in which the government would pay for access to the tech
The Astra 1P is seen here inside a thermal vacuum chamber. It was launched by SpaceX last year into orbit
Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of Space Command, said in a speech kicking off the annual Space Symposium last week, said: 'It's time that we can clearly say that we need space fires and we need weapons systems.
'We need orbital interceptors.We call these weapons, and we need them to deter a space conflict and to be successful if we end up in such a fight.'
It comes after a Russian ballistic missile strike on the Ukrainian city of Sumyleft dozens dead over the weekend.
Two Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles hit a trolley bus on Sunday, killing at least 35 people, including two children, and wounding 117.
President Trump told reporters on Air Force One: 'I think it was terrible. And I was told they made a mistake. But I think it's a horrible thing. I think the whole war is a horrible thing.'
When asked to clarify on what he meant, he said that'they made a mistake... you're gonna ask them' - without specifying who or what he meant.
