SpaceX secures $4.16 billion contract for US Space Force missile defence network

The US Space Force has awarded SpaceX a $4.16 billion contract to develop a satellite constellation for the 'Golden Dome' missile defence project, officially designated as the Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator. This agreement requires the creation of a network capable of tracking foreign aircraft and missiles by 2028, marking a significant expansion of the company’s role in military defence alongside its existing focus on space exploration, artificial intelligence, and telecommunications.

The project aims to establish a persistent, global capability to sense and track airborne targets from space using advanced space-based sensors, secure and rapid communication links, and resilient ground processing. This latest award follows a separate $2.29 billion contract granted to SpaceX earlier in the week for a resilient, high-speed space-based communications network. While the contracts share similarities, the earlier agreement focuses specifically on developing the communications infrastructure, whereas the new contract centres on the tracking and sensing capabilities of the satellite constellation.

The broader Golden Dome initiative is estimated to cost $1.2 trillion over a 20-year period, indicating that the recent awards are part of a long-term, multi-contract strategy. The Space Force confirmed it would issue multiple contracts as part of this long-term project, with the initial SpaceX agreement entailing the creation of the satellite constellation by 2028. This development aligns with previous reporting from the Wall Street Journal, which indicated late last year that SpaceX would receive a $2 billion contract to assist with the Golden Dome project.

This is not the first time the Space Force has utilised SpaceX for military communications. The agency previously granted a $70 million contract to use the company’s Starshield program for military communications purposes. The new contracts further integrate SpaceX’s infrastructure into the US defence architecture, leveraging its existing capabilities in space-based operations.

The total cost of the Golden Dome project remains an estimate, and final expenditures may vary as the initiative progresses. Additionally, while the 2028 deadline for the satellite constellation is set, delays remain possible given the scale and complexity of large-scale aerospace projects. The exact scope and integration of the communications contract with the tracking contract have not been fully detailed, though both serve to enhance the US Space Force’s ability to monitor and respond to airborne threats from space.