SpaceX gets $4 billion contract to build missile-tracking ‘Golden Dome’ satellites - The Verge

The Pentagon awarded SpaceX a $4.16 billion contract to build missile-tracking satellites linked with President Donald Trump’s planned “Golden Dome” defense system, as reported earlier by Bloomberg. In an announcement on Friday, the US Space Force says the sensor-equipped satellites will allow it to detect and track targets from space. The Elon Musk-owned SpaceX — which recently filed for what could be the biggest initial public offering ever — already has contracts with the Space Force to develop other parts of the Golden Dome. Similar to Israel’s Iron Dome, Trump’s pricey defense system would identify and take down missiles and other airborne targets. SpaceX is set to develop prototypes for space-based interceptors for the Golden Dome and also won a $2.29 billion contract to develop its data network. Some experts are concerned about whether the Golden Dome will actually work against a barrage of missiles and if it would increase the threat of nuclear war. Space Force General Michael Guetlein has said the defense system will have some “operational capability” by the end of 2028, Bloomberg reports.