An illustration of the Golden Dome. Credit: Arcfield By Sandra Erwin, Published by Space News, 18 May 2026 Behind the classified architecture is a struggle over affordability, industrial scale and whether commercial space economics can work for national defense WASHINGTON — Pentagon officials overseeing Golden Dome are trying to convince
A Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor to track hypersonic missiles in during their glide phase. (Northrop Grumman) By Courtney Albon, Published by Air and Space Forces, 8 May 2026 The Missile Defense Agency will test its ability to track and engage a hypersonic missile in fiscal 2027 with an
Image: L3Harris Technologies By Steve Trimble, Published by Aviation Week, 29 April 2026 Space-based interceptors are no longer an intrinsic component of the Golden Dome program. A proliferated constellation of orbital, rocket-fired missiles is still being considered, but they are unnecessary if the defense industry is not ready to deliver
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in front of a map of Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" missile defense system in the Oval Office at the White House on May 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Alex Brandon/The Associated Press) By Michael Marrow, Published by Breaking Defense, 24 April 2026 The service pledged
Illustration of space-based missile defense Credit: Space Systems Command By Sandra Erwin, Published by Space News, 23 April 2026 The contract is to demonstrate space-based data links using the Link-182 standard that will support Golden Dome WASHINGTON — The Space Systems Command, the U.S. Space Force’s acquisition arm, awarded SpaceX
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks about the Golden Dome initiative in the Oval Office on May 20, 2025. | Alex Brandon/AP By Audrey Decker and Paul McLeary, Published by Politico, 23 April 2026 Congressional Republicans are increasingly reluctant to move ahead with a partisan budget bill that was supposed to
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle carries the fifth Lockheed Martin-built GPS III space vehicle for the U.S. Space Force, 30 May 2025. (SpaceX) By Qurat-Ul-Ain Shabbir, Published by Space News, 22 April 2026 Space based nuclear command, control and communications (NC3) systems were developed as highly classified and sovereign
Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) missile warning satellite, USAF image By Debra Werner, Published by Space News, 16 April 2026 COLORADO SPRINGS – U.S. government agencies are working with industry to develop tools to disrupt missiles before they take flight, a timespan called ‘left of launch.’ “We’re looking at different
