The new American missile defense program “Golden Dome” is looking for an alternative to SpaceX Ilon Mask due to a deterioration in relations between him and the Trump administration. Among the applicants are the Kuiper project from Amazon and large defense companies.
SpaceX for a long time was the main partner of the project thanks to its Starlink satellite network and experience in launching missiles. But due to the conflict between Trump and Musk in June, the authorities began to consider other options in order not to depend completely on one company, the media write.
The Kuiper project from Amazon has so far launched only a small part of its companions, but the Pentagon is interested in it. Other companies such as Stoke Space and Rocket Lab are also considered, which can participate in separate launches. Traditional defense giants, such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, are also involved in work on the Golden Dome.
The program should create a powerful satellite network similar to the Israeli Iron Dome system, but much more scale.
