Musk’s SpaceX could end up securing massive ‘Golden Dome’ defense contract, report says

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has emerged as the leading contender to construct major components of President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system, sources told Reuters on Thursday.

The plan, first authorized in a January executive order, calls for an advanced satellite shield aimed at protecting the U.S. from foreign missile threats. SpaceX, in partnership with Palantir and defense drone maker Anduril, is pitching a joint bid featuring a vast satellite network and a novel subscription-based model that would allow the federal government to access and operate the system through a recurring subscription fee, rather than owning the full infrastructure, the outlet reported.

The Department of Defense and SpaceX didn’t respond to a request for comment.

“Israel has it, other places have it, and the United States should have it too,” Trump said at his address to a joint session of Congress in March, referring to Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system. “This is a very dangerous world. We should have it. We want to be protected. And we’re going to protect our citizens like never before.”

SpaceX’s pitch reportedly involves deploying between 400 and 1,000 detection satellites and up to 200 “attack satellites” capable of intercepting threats with missiles or lasers. The proposal’s subscription-based model would mark a significant departure from traditional Pentagon procurement practices, though SpaceX argues it could speed up deployment and reduce upfront costs, according to the outlet.

Some Pentagon officials are wary of the model, which could circumvent traditional budget oversight and raise long-term cost questions, the outlet reported. The move also comes amid growing interest from both defense giants like Lockheed Martin and Boeing, and newer military-tech firms looking to capitalize on the administration’s defense innovation push.

Lockheed Martin in particular has aggressively promoted its bid to win the Golden Dome contract, releasing promotional articles and leveraging social media to advocate for its leadership role.

Imagine a defense system that shields America from aerial threats, hypersonic missiles and drone swarms with unmatched speed and accuracy. Thanks to President @realDonaldTrump‘s vision, Golden Dome will make this a reality, securing our future. pic.twitter.com/vyXHzpbTw2

— Lockheed Martin (@LockheedMartin) March 19, 2025

“We are not accustomed to having to integrate at the level that’s going to be required to integrate to go after an Iron Dome,” Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein said of the project at the National Security Innovation Base Summit in March. The general is involved in discussions over whether SpaceX ought to own the system, Reuters reported.

“This is on the order of magnitude of the Manhattan Project,” the general said. “It’s going to take a concerted effort from the very top of our government. It’s going to take national will to bring all this together. It’s going to be a heavy lift across all the organizations that are going to be participating.”

Notably, all three companies in the SpaceX-led consortium are helmed by executives who have backed Trump politically. Musk, now spearheading the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has donated hundreds of millions to Trump-aligned causes and helped implement Trump’s efforts to slash government waste and revamp legacy systems across federal bureaucracies, including the Pentagon — though there are rumblings of a fraying relationship between Musk and the administration, with reports emerging Wednesday of Trump abruptly pulling the plug on a China-related Pentagon briefing scheduled for the SpaceX founder.

The Golden Dome program is still in its early stages, and final decisions about its scope, design and contractors are months away, the outlet reported. But with Musk at the helm and the Pentagon reportedly expressing cautious optimism, the SpaceX team is currently positioned as the favorite to win the contract.

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