Pentagon Forces SpaceX and Lockheed to Self-Fund $700B Golden Dome Space Defense

The Pentagon is requiring companies like SpaceX, Anduril, and Lockheed Martin to privately fund the development of space-based missile interceptors for the $185B Golden Dome program. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that deploying a full orbital network of these interceptors will cost more than $700B, far exceeding current budget allocations. The Space Force set aside just $3.2B for prototype development, explicitly demanding that contractors absorb the financial risk of building the unproven technology. Target production costs for the interceptors range from $5M to over $20M each, requiring them to hit targets traveling at roughly 22,000 feet per second. "The combined mission has never been done at scale, and it’s incredibly challenging. We’re all investing on hope." — Eric Romo