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Lockheed Martin is designing a space-based missile interceptor and aims to test the technology for potential integration with President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” Defense Shield within the next three years.
The defense contractor revealed this week that they want to test satellite defense weapons by 2028 that can destroy Hi-Sonic missiles.
If successful, this was the first time in history to deploy interceptors in space to destroy enemy missiles before the US arrived home. Lockheed measures a variety of technologies, from lasers to motor satellites, to motion satellites that operate high-speed targets in flight and potentially attacking them.
“There are missile warnings and tracking satellites that Lockheed Martin has made today in orbit, providing timely detection and warnings of missile threats,” said Amanda Pound, director of mission strategy and advanced capabilities at Lockheed Martin Space.
“We are committed to leveraging decades of experience, investment and industry partnerships to make space-based interceptors for missile defense a reality to prepare for the 2028 orbital test.”
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Lockheed Martin is designing a space-based missile interceptor and aims to test the technology for potential integration with President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” Defense Shield within the next three years. (Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed’s Space Interceptor Project will directly support Trump’s “Golden Dome for America” initiative, first announced in May 2025. The ambitious missile defense concept calls for a global constellations of satellites armed with sensors and interceptors designed to detect, track and eliminate advanced missile threats.
The idea reflects President Ronald Reagan’s 1983 Strategic Defense Initiative, often referred to as “Star Wars,” and was dismissed as science fiction at the time. But today, defense leaders say technology that once looked far is moving rapidly.
General Michael Gutrain, appointed by the Trump administration to lead the Golden Dome, stressed that key elements of the system already exist and that he has expressed confidence in achieving a test-ready platform by 2028. Still, that’s not easy.
“Interviewing missiles in orbit is a rather crucial and difficult problem physically,” said Jeff Schroeder, vice president of Lockheed Space Division. “But it’s not impossible,” he added, noting the breakthrough in maneuverability and guidance system.
Analysts warn that the US may need to launch thousands of interceptors into orbit to make the Golden Dome vision a reality. Some compared it to the Cold War and ERA’s “Glorious Pebbles” program.
The Trump administration hopes that the Golden Dome will be completed before the president resigns. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The Golden Dome is currently projected to cost $175 billion, with $25 billion already approved by Congress. However, long-term estimates range from $161 billion to over $83 billion over 20 years, raising questions about the program’s affordability and long-term sustainability.
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Meanwhile, Lockheed is strengthening its ground-based missile defense system to complement the orbital layer. In March 2025, the company’s Ejis combat system, aboard the USS Pinckney, successfully simulated intercepting a postponed medium-range missile during the FTX-40 movement.
The company is also promoting infrared seeker technology for interceptors, enhancing tracking and targeting of rapidly moving missiles in the terminal phase.
Lockheed hopes to incorporate space-based missile interceptors into the Golden Dome. (Lockheed Martin)
Lockheed remains a central player in the Pentagon’s wider missile defense and Hi-sonic weapons development efforts. It is a leading contractor for Next Generation Interceptors (NGIs) and is targeting early operational capabilities by the end of fiscal year 2028.
At the same time, the company is fulfilling its naval contracts for its traditional rapid strike (CPS) high-sonic weapons systems. The sea-based deployment of CPS is expected to begin between 2027 and 2028.
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President Trump has publicly said he hopes that Golden Dome will go into operation by the end of his term. However, industry insiders have warned that supply chain restrictions and the Pentagon’s slow-moving procurement system will not be fully deployed by 2029.
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