Exclusive: Trump's Golden Dome looks for alternatives to Musk's SpaceX

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

July 22, 2025 2:00 PM EDT Updated 4 hours ago


WASHINGTON, July 22 (Reuters) - The Trump administration is expanding its search for partners to build the Golden Dome missile defense system, courting Amazon.com's Project Kuiper and big defense contractors as tensions with Elon Musk threaten SpaceX's dominance in the program, according to three sources familiar with the matter.

The shift marks a strategic pivot away from reliance on Musk's SpaceX, whose Starlink and Starshield satellite networks have become central to U.S. military communications. It comes amid a deteriorating relationship between Trump and Musk, which culminated in a public falling-out on June 5. Even before the spat, officials at the Pentagon and White House had begun exploring alternatives to SpaceX, wary of over-reliance on a single partner for huge portions of the ambitious, $175 billion space-based defense shield, two of the sources said.

SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment. Responding to a post about the Reuters story on X, Musk wrote, "Federal acquisition regulations require using the best provider at the best price. Anything else would be breaking the law."

Due to its size, track record of launching more than 9,000 of its own Starlink satellites, and experience in government procurement, SpaceX still has the inside track to assist with major portions of the Golden Dome, especially launch contracts, sources say. Project Kuiper, which has launched just 78 of a planned constellation of 3,000 low-earth orbit satellites, has been approached by the Pentagon to join the effort, signaling the administration's openness to integrating commercial tech firms into national defense infrastructure and going beyond traditional defense players.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/trumps-golden-dome-looks-alternatives-musks-spacex-2025-07-22/

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Responding to a post about the Reuters story on X, Musk wrote, "Federal acquisition regulations require using the best provider at the best price. Anything else would be breaking the law."

This from someone who directed others to break MULTIPLE laws.