Laser weapons, 1000 satellites and AI-powered…: Elon Musk to bring Trump’s sci-fi ‘Golden Dome’ to life; can intercept missiles at…
Elon Musk-led SpaceX has secured the contract for building the ‘Golden Dome’, a dream project of US President Donald Trump, which is expected to be the world’s most advanced missile defense system, equipped with laser weapons that can intercept incoming hypersonic missiles at light speed.
SpaceX, partners, bag Golden Dome contract
According to a Reuters report, Musk’s SpaceX and two partners have emerged as frontrunners to win a crucial part of Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense shield. Citing sources, the report said that SpaceX is partnering with software maker Palantir, and drone manufacturer Anduril, on a bid to build key parts of Golden Dome.
The deal has raised eyebrows as all three companies belong to entrepreneurs who are political supporters of Donald Trump, with Elon Musk, donating over a quarter of a billion dollars to elect Trump to office. Currently, Elon Musk, a close Trump aide, serves as a special adviser, and heads the controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which aims to cut government spending using measures like halting USAID and cutting down the workforce.
Trump inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome
Notably, In his January 27 executive order, Donald Trump had cited a missile attack as “the most catastrophic threat facing the United States.”
Trump has been a longtime fan of the Iron Dome, the famed air defense system that protects Israel, and had reportedly pitched for naming the US missile defense system along similar lines, but was advised against it by US officials, citing copyright and patent issues.
But beyond the name, the proposed Golden Dome, will have almost nothing in common with its Israeli counterpart, and will be a unique system in itself. While the Iron Dome only shoots down missiles which it calculates could cause human fatalities, the US defense system is being designed to take down all types of projectiles, including those directed at remote installations.
How Golden Dome will work?
As per the Reuters reports, Elon Musk’s SpaceX and its two partners have pitched their plans for the Golden Dome to top officials in the Trump administration and the Pentagon in recent weeks. The plan for the missile defense shield involves launching more than 1,000 satellites in Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO), that will continuously circle the globe to sense missiles and track their movement.
A separate fleet of 200 attack satellites armed with missiles or lasers would then shoot down enemy missiles, report said, quoting sources. It added that that SpaceX will not be involved in the weaponization of satellites.
According to defense experts, the Golden Dome will likely be equipped with directed energy weapons, aka lasers, that can shoot down missiles, drones and other projectiles, at the speed of light. The system will be powered by an artificial intelligence sensor network, enabling 360-degree threat detection.
Where will Golden Dome be deployed?
The Golden Dome will have multi-layer interceptors that will shoot down short, medium and long-range missiles, and expected to be first deployed to protect the White House, the Pentagon and other critical infrastructure within the United States, they said.
Notably, the development comes amidst a surging threat to the US from Russia and China, both of whom possess hypersonic missiles which cannot be intercepted with any missile defense system currently in use.
How much will Golden Dome cost?
While there a now publicly available details about the proposed cost of building this advanced air defense systems, experts believe the Golden Dome could cost hundreds of billions of US dollars to make. Musk’s SpaceX has estimated that the initial engineering and design cost for the satellite’s custody layer to be between $6 billion and $10 billion
The Pentagon has a deadline for launch of the Golden Dome by 2030.
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