Overview

• The Missile Defense Agency plans to integrate orbital sensors, interceptors and command networks in a single FTI-X trial to validate Golden Dome’s core capabilities.
• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s memo grants the program exemptions from standard oversight and mandates 60-day and 120-day deadlines for architecture and implementation planning.
• Congress has provided $25 billion in initial funding but President Trump’s $175 billion cost estimate is widely seen as a conservative figure by independent analysts.
• Officials warn that covering the continental United States will demand an unprecedented satellite constellation, posing significant technical and budgetary risks.
• SpaceX, Anduril, Palantir, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin are among the companies competing for major Golden Dome development contracts.