Elon Musk’s space technology company, SpaceX, as well as Palantir and Anduril, have emerged as front-runners to develop critical components for President Donald Trump’s ambitious ‘Golden Dome’ missile defense shield.

The proposed missile defense system, initially called the "Iron Dome for America" in an executive order signed by Trump in January 2025, was inspired by Israel's Iron Dome. It aims to protect the entire U.S. homeland from aerial threats including hypersonic, ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as next-generation advanced attacks from adversaries like Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea. 

Reuters reports that the trio of leading contenders proposed a constellation of 400 to more than 1,000 missile defense satellites, according to sources. 

The system would intercept and destroy aerial attacks, including short-range rockets and artillery shells. The Israeli Iron Dome's success rate is around 90%. 

The United States is 400 times larger than Israel, making complete coverage more complex, and such a system could cost taxpayers billions.