Overview
- Air Force Secretary Troy Meink publicly said on Sept. 14 that the U.S. Space Force operates on-orbit “space control weapons” that can defend the joint force against hostile adversary action.
- Meink said the Space-Based Interceptor program moved from initial contract to flight-ready hardware in under a year and the service is running a prize competition that could yield an initial interceptor capability by 2028.
- The Space Force awarded SpaceX a $4.2 billion contract in May to build a Space-Based AMTI satellite constellation and Meink said the first of those satellites is scheduled to launch this month to track airborne threats from orbit.
- Golden Dome program director Gen. Michael Guetlein reported that SBI contractors finished Gate One and are poised to enter Gate Two to build prototypes, with later gates set to require in-space proof and integration with the wider Golden Dome architecture.
- Officials say the move reflects a new, more open posture about offensive space roles set out by a December executive order and aims to deter growing Chinese and Russian counter-space activity while keeping technical details classified.