In January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring missile attacks the gravest threat to America. It was the official greenlight for one of the most ambitious military undertakings in recent history: the so-called “Golden Dome.”
Now, just months later, Elon Musk’s SpaceX and two of its tech allies—Palantir and Anduril—have emerged as leading contenders to build its foundation, according to six individuals briefed on the matter by Reuters.
This trio of Silicon Valley-born firms, all with deep ties to Trump, is pitching a plan that could upend the traditional world of defense contracting. They envision hundreds, perhaps over a thousand, satellites orbiting Earth, scanning the skies for missile launches in real time. Another fleet of attack satellites —armed and ready—would destroy the threats before they ever touch U.S. soil.
A Silicon Valley Star Wars
The scope of the plan is staggering. According to sources familiar with the proposal, SpaceX’s role focuses on what’s being called the “custody layer”—the satellite backbone that would detect, track, and analyze any incoming missiles. If successful, it could represent the largest federal contract ever awarded to a tech company.
The full system might cost hundreds of billions. SpaceX alone has estimated its piece—just the initial design and engineering—could run between $6 billion and $10 billion. And that’s only for preliminary engineering and design.
SpaceX already operates a fleet of rockets and reconnaissance satellites. Some, sources say, could be retrofitted for early deployment of the Golden Dome’s infrastructure.
Yet even with that head start, the plan raises concerning questions about national security, corporate influence, and the speed at which high-stakes defense technology should be developed.
“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,” one source familiar with the discussions told Reuters.
That role is increasingly controversial. Musk, who has donated more than $250 million to help elect Trump, now serves as a special adviser tasked with reducing government spending via DOGE. While SpaceX declined to comment on his direct involvement in the contract process, the overlap between his public role and businesses looks like a blatant conflict of interest.
“When the richest man in the world can become a Special Government Employee and exert influence over the flow of billions of dollars of taxpayer money in government contracts to his companies, that’s a serious problem,” said Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).
A Subscription to National Defense?
Perhaps the most radical element of SpaceX’s pitch is not technological—it’s financial. Rather than the government owning the system, SpaceX has proposed offering it as a subscription service.
You heard that right. The Pentagon would, in effect, rent the capability to track and defend against missiles.
According to two people involved in the talks, this approach could speed up deployment by bypassing some procurement red tape. It’s also legal—but risky. Officials worry that relying on a tech company’s service could lock the U.S. into long-term costs and limit oversight.
“Such an arrangement would be unusual for such a large and critical defense program,” one defense official said.
Internal discussions have explored alternatives, including whether the U.S. government should own and operate the satellites directly or contract out operations while retaining ownership. General Michael Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force has been in talks weighing these scenarios.
So far, the Pentagon has not made a final decision. Its only public response: it will provide “options to the President…in alignment with White House guidance and timelines.”
The timeline is aggressive. Early capabilities are expected by 2026. Full-scale deployment could extend into the 2030s. According to an internal memo reviewed by Reuters, Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth has called for “acceleration of the deployment” of satellite constellations.
That timeline may favor companies like SpaceX that already have working hardware. But that doesn’t guarantee success.
The Old Guard Pushes Back
If SpaceX wins, it will mark a generational shift in defense contracting—from decades-old titans to brash, “flashy” upstarts. But the old guard isn’t backing down.
Lockheed Martin has launched an aggressive marketing campaign. Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and RTX are expected to submit bids. Over 180 companies have expressed interest, including newer players like Epirus and Ursa Major. Yet, despite their efforts, it looks undeniable that SpaceX has firmly its foot in the door with this contract.
Meanwhile, experts outside government are casting doubt on the feasibility of the Golden Dome itself.
“Such a system could be overwhelmed by launching multiple weapons at the same time,” said Laura Grego, research director at the Union of Concerned Scientists. “That would push the required size of the defense to very large numbers – potentially in the tens of thousands of satellites.”
Those numbers would dwarf even SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, the largest civilian satellite network in orbit.
For now, the Pentagon continues to collect proposals and refine the system’s architecture. But the direction seems clear: a high-tech, high-speed, high-stakes missile shield may no longer be the stuff of Cold War dreams—it could be a Silicon Valley subscription.
And Elon Musk, ever at the center of disruption, might soon sell national defense the way he sells internet from space.
