Space Force Awards Early Golden Dome Contracts

Initial recipients will serve as a steppingstone for contractors to compete for larger agreements that could be worth billions.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, December 02, 2025 at 09:00 AM ET

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Jack Daleo

U.S. President Donald Trump announces the Golden Dome missile defense project in May. [Credit: C-SPAN]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Space Force has awarded initial contracts to private firms, including Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Anduril, and True Anomaly, to develop space-based interceptors (SBIs) for the "Golden Dome" missile defense system.
These SBIs aim to intercept enemy missiles in their boost phase, marking a strategic shift from ground-based defense, with successful prototype development leading to potential annual production contracts worth billions after 2028.
The Golden Dome project is characterized by secrecy, a prototype funding structure partially reliant on company self-funding, and significant concerns over its projected cost (potentially trillions of dollars) and timeline, including an unconventional subscription model proposed by SpaceX for satellite infrastructure.

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The U.S. Space Force has reportedly selected a handful of private firms to build and test missile defense prototypes for the Pentagon and President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome effort.

Two sources told Reuters that Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Anduril, and startup True Anomaly are among the recipients of initial funding to develop space-based interceptors (SBIs) that are intended to destroy enemy missiles minutes after launch, during the boost phase. The funding will also cover control stations required to help the SBIs track and hit their targets. Both are key components of Golden Dome, which the Pentagon hopes will come online within three years.