Considering President Donald Trump tried to build a wall across the Mexican border, the idea of covering the United States of America in a massive dome isn't even the most outlandish thing he's suggested. While he's not going to put an actual dome over us all, his metaphorical Golden Dome is set to secure the country against potential missile attacks from foreign enemies.
President Donald Trump originally floated the idea of an intergalactic system that would target 'next-generation' aerial threats in January 2025, vowing to take on ballistic and cruise missiles that could be launched against the USA. Now, he's putting those promises into action with a controversial project that could cost up to $540 billion. This is much higher than the $175 billion the POTUS initially said it could cost.
What is Donald Trump's Golden Dome?
Inspired by Israel's Iron Dome, that's been in operation since 2011, Trump's Golden Dome is said to be a network of satellites that will detect, track, and presumably intercept missiles that are heading toward the US.
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Trump claims that Canada also wants in on the dome, although he's only said he'll help where he can.
This is an extension of Ronald Reagan’s proposal for the incomplete 'Star Wars' system that was imagined as a defense system against attacks from the USSR.
Space Force General Michael Guetlein will lead the program, with the Pentagon saying Trump has been presented with three options for a small, medium, or large dome. Although those plans haven't been made public, Trump has apparently chosen the 'architecture' of the Golden Dome. The question is, has he chosen the architect?
How does Elon Musk fit into Trump's Golden Dome plans?
The Golden Dome will supposedly make the USA 'invulnerable' to missile attacks and is set to be operational before the end of Trump's term in 2029.
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Much like how Elon Musk and SpaceX were praised for 'saving' stranded astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, it's thought that the President's 'First Buddy' could be crucial in the Golden Dome's construction.
According to Reuters, two sources have claimed that SpaceX is pitching for part of the Golden Dome contract known as the 'custody layer'. This could be a constellation of satellites that would detect and track missiles while determining if they pose a threat to the US.
The outlet suggests that SpaceX has estimated preliminary design and engineering on the custody layer would be between $6 billion and $10 billion, which would a be a sizeable chunk of the $25 billion Trump has already put aside for the Golden Dome. If successful, SpaceX could retrofit some of the spy satellites it's already launched over the years.
While the lucrative contract could see Mr. Musk line his pockets with even more billions, the idea of SpaceX being a cornerstone of the Golden Dome alongside software maker Palantir and drone builder Anduril is one that's already been denied.
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Musk quickly jumped onto the Reuters story on X and simply wrote: "This is not true."
In an earlier post, he reiterated that SpaceX will remain focused on his mission to explore the stars, adding: "SpaceX has not tried to bid for any contract in this regard. Our strong preference would be to stay focused on taking humanity to Mars. If the President asks us to help in this regard, we will do so, but I hope that other companies (not SpaceX) can do this."
If SpaceX is out for the count, could Musk rival Jeff Bezos take on the challenge with Blue Origin? Either way, whoever lands the contract is sure to strike it lucky.