WASHINGTON, June 13(Alliance News): A public fallout between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump has cast uncertainty over SpaceX’s role in the United States’ flagship missile defence initiative, known as “Golden Dome.”
According to three sources familiar with the matter, the administration is now reconsidering SpaceX’s involvement in the project, which is designed to guard the U.S. against potential missile attacks.
Until recently, SpaceX was slated to collaborate with software firm Palantir and drone manufacturer Anduril on key components of the project, with the Pentagon directed to prioritise a satellite-based network.
However, the administration is now reviewing a revised plan that may initially bypass SpaceX’s satellite systems and focus on strengthening ground-based defences instead.
While the White House emphasized that the Trump administration remains committed to a “rigorous review process” for all contracts, a Defence Department official said there are “no announcements” yet regarding future agreements for the Golden Dome initiative.
Neither SpaceX nor its partner companies responded to media queries.
The reconsideration marks the first known disruption to Musk’s extensive business ties with the U.S. government following his very public split with Trump.
Analysts say the development also highlights how national defence strategies under Trump may be influenced by personal loyalties and political alignments rather than technical merit.
Laura Grego of the Union of Concerned Scientists described the political filtering of defence contracts as “a real concern,” warning that the program risks becoming politicised.
The White House insisted that its final decision would be guided by cost-effectiveness and the use of cutting-edge technology.
Trump has vowed that the Golden Dome shield would be operational before the end of his term in January 2029, though defence analysts consider the goal—and its projected $175 billion cost—highly ambitious.
Insiders also suggest that shifting the project’s architecture away from satellite-heavy components could allow Trump to claim partial progress before his term ends, even if a full rollout proves infeasible.
For now, it’s unclear when a final decision will be made or how major defence firms—including SpaceX—will ultimately fit into the evolving plans.
The initiative remains fluid, with some companies scrambling to secure involvement despite the lack of clear direction or defined project requirements. “To this day, no one knows what the requirements are,” said one source. “All of these companies are just grabbing at this pot of money.”
SpaceX, Anduril, and Palantir, all founded by Trump-aligned entrepreneurs, had reportedly met with top defence and White House officials to discuss Golden Dome before Musk’s break with the president.
Musk, once a major donor and informal adviser to Trump, called for the president’s impeachment and publicly accused him of ties to Jeffrey Epstein—comments that have since been deleted.
Though Musk has apologized and retracted some of his remarks, it remains to be seen whether his conciliatory gestures will restore his company’s prospects.
SpaceX had aimed to lead the “custody layer” of Golden Dome—an envisioned constellation of 400 to 1,000 satellites capable of identifying and tracking incoming missiles.
Trump’s January 27 executive order had described the threat of missile attack as “the most catastrophic threat facing the United States,” and set a March deadline for an architectural plan.
The project, still in its early stages, may proceed under a different structure, possibly sidelining one of its highest-profile contractors due to political tensions rather than technical qualifications.
