The Wall Street Journal reported thatElon Musk's SpaceX is reportedly set to win a $20 billion contract from the U.S. government to develop satellites for President Trump's proposed "Golden Dome" project.
The report details that SpaceX's mission under this contract is to develop up to 600 satellites that can be used to track missiles and aircraft, thereby forming a high-tech air defense system.
The "Golden Dome" project: the American version of the "Iron Dome," striving to complete it within the term of office.
The "Golden Dome" is a plan announced by US President Trump in May of this year to build an anti-missile defense system that can intercept missiles before they hit their targets. Its concept is obviously based on Israel's "Iron Dome" system.
However, the U.S. Department of Defense has not yet revealed specific details of the plan.
Given the sheer scale of this defense system, the Wall Street Journal points out that SpaceX's $20 billion contract is likely only one part of the "Golden Dome" project. The report indicates that other defense technology companies such as Anduril Industries and Palantir Technologies may also participate in its development, and the Trump administration hopes to complete the deployment of the project before the end of President Trump's term.
Expanding the use of the Starlink network
In addition, the report also mentioned that besides commissioning SpaceX to build new defense satellites, the U.S. Department of Defense also plans to make wider use of SpaceX's existing and large-scale Starlink satellite network and use it for other military purposes, including military communications and vehicle tracking.
