Donald Trump's Dream of a Golden Dome Begins to Become Reality

US President Donald Trump is ambitious to build the “Golden Dome”. This controversial project functions to protect US territory, similar to Israel’s Iron Dome defence system. Trump’s Golden Dome project has now entered the prototype development stage, carried out by two defence technology companies: Impulse Space and Anduril. The satellite startup Impulse Space and military technology company Anduril have been appointed by the Pentagon to develop orbital missile tracking and targeting technology. This system will form the backbone of the Golden Dome, a satellite network defence system designed to detect and destroy missiles before they reach US territory. The Golden Dome is a major project of the Trump administration, announced in early 2025. Through an executive order, Trump is pushing for the construction of a space “shield” capable of intercepting missiles and drones from the early launch phase. However, to date, specific timelines for the project remain scarce. Several reports suggest it could take a long time. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the project will require 20 years. Yet, some reports indicate the first major test is targeted before the 2028 US presidential election. The appointment of the two technology contractors signals that the Golden Dome project is truly underway. The technology being developed by the US centres on space-based interceptors. The system is designed to search for, lock onto targets, and destroy enemy missiles from outside the atmosphere. The issue is that this technology has never been realised and is considered impractical by some experts. Impulse Space, led by former SpaceX engineer Tom Mueller, will act as a subcontractor to Anduril. This collaboration is deemed important as it combines launch capabilities and AI-based defence systems. In addition to those two companies, major contractors such as Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and startup True Anomaly are also reportedly developing similar prototypes. They will compete for the final Golden Dome production contract. On one hand, the project has drawn sharp criticism. Some analysts say space-based defence systems like this have been attempted since the Ronald Reagan era and never realised. The cost is also estimated to be enormous, potentially reaching US$3.6 trillion by 2045. The Brookings Institution think tank warns that the Golden Dome could trigger a new arms race. If the US deploys interceptors in space, China and Russia are seen as likely to follow suit.