President Donald Trump’s administration may be expanding its options for key Golden Dome components to contractors beyond Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Reuters reported Tuesday.
The administration is reportedly courting companies such as Amazon, Stoke Space and Rocket Lab to help in launching and maintaining satellites in orbit, with the government having concerns about over-relying on SpaceX after Trump and Musk’s explosive split, three unnamed sources familiar with the situation told Reuters. Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense project is estimated to cost around $175 billion and is meant to implement space-based solutions to help intercept long-range ballistic missiles.
SpaceX was rumored to be the single largest contractor involved in the project, providing reusable rockets that would be instrumental in launching a number of satellites into orbit.
Trump and Musk reportedly had friction with each other during the billionaire’s brief stint spearheading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Trump’s advocacy for the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) also bothered Musk substantially, but the final straw for the two’s relationship was Trump’s decision to shoot down the nomination of one of Musk’s allies to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
One option the administration is reportedly pursuing substantially is Amazon’s Project Kuiper, which is primarily a civilian project aimed at launching 3,000 low-earth orbit satellites, one U.S. official told Reuters. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos told the outlet that while the project was mainly a commercial enterprise, he is open to its use in defense.
While the Trump administration will be expanding its options, sources told Reuters that Musk’s premier space company remains the top contractor due to its proven track record.
Other traditional defense corporations such as Lockheed Martin, L3 Harris and Northrop Grumman are also poised to aid in the construction of the Golden Dome, according to Reuters. Regardless of which companies land contracts for the Golden Dome, the project will still have to overcome a brick wall of red tape and slow-moving offices emblematic of the defense industrial complex.
Hostile nations to the U.S. criticized the project after Trump announced it in May, with China calling the undertaking a “serious concern” while North Korea said that the Golden Dome risks “space nuclear war,” according to the BBC.
The White House and SpaceX did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. The Pentagon declined to comment.
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