A major U.S. defense contractor, Lockheed Martin, has announced plans to conduct an on‑orbit demonstration of a space‑based missile interceptor by 2028. The test is a key part of Golden Dome for America, the missile‑defense initiative unveiled by Donald Trump, aimed at protecting the U.S. (and potentially allies) from advanced threats including ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles.
Lockheed’s CEO, Jim Taiclet, confirmed the company’s commitment during a quarterly earnings call, stating: “We’re actually planning for a real on‑orbit, space‑based interceptor demonstration by 2028.” The initiative echoes the Cold War‑era Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) — dubbed “Star Wars” — but relies on now‑maturing technologies such as maneuverable interceptors, advanced sensors and space‐based kill vehicles.
According to public reports, many of the system components are already under development. For example, satellites providing missile‑warning and tracking capabilities exist and form part of the broader architecture. But analysts caution that placing interceptors in orbit and reliably engaging missiles remains a “pretty wicked hard problem physics‑wise.”
The timing is significant. With adversaries like the People’s Republic of China and Russian Federation advancing missile and anti‑satellite capabilities, the U.S. effort aims to leap ahead. Yet cost, technical complexity and deployment scale pose real challenges: some projections estimate the total cost over decades at $161 billion to over $830 billion
