SpaceX has been awarded a $2 billion federal contract to build satellites intended to detect and track incoming missiles and aircraft, according to reporting from The Wall Street Journal. The contract is part of a broader national defense initiative supported by President Donald Trump to develop a U.S. air-defense system.
The project, referred to internally as “Golden Dome,” is modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome missile-interception system. Early planning calls for the deployment of approximately 600 satellites designed to identify airborne threats and relay information in real time.
Funding for the Golden Dome was included in the congressional omnibus spending bill passed in July, though details about which contractor received the award were not publicly disclosed at the time. SpaceX already provides services to several federal agencies, including NASA, the Department of Defense, and the Federal Aviation Administration.
Additional contracts announced
On Friday, the government also issued a separate contract to Intuitive Machines (LUNR), a Houston-based space exploration firm. The company received an $8.2 million contract extension from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to continue work related to the use of nuclear power in space applications. Following the announcement, shares of Intuitive Machines rose 4.9% to $11.93.
SpaceX’s defense involvement
SpaceX is currently developing multiple satellite systems for the Pentagon. These include:
- Milnet, a secure military communications network.
- A separate satellite program focused on tracking ground and air vehicles.
The July spending bill earmarked $24 billion through 2029 for the development and deployment of the Golden Dome system.
Several other companies submitted proposals for the project, including defense technology firms Anduril and Palantir (PLTR), which jointly bid on a portion of the system. Traditional defense contractors such as Northrop Grumman (NOC), Lockheed Martin (LMT), and Raytheon (RTX) also expressed interest. According to MarketSurge data, the aerospace and defense sector has risen 33% year-to-date.