On May 20, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump officially announced the launch of the Golden Dome project, a global antimissile defense system, from the Oval Office. The goal: intercept any missile before it reaches U.S. soil using a network of satellites acting as a “strategic umbrella” against ballistic threats.
While the promise sounds grand, it’s not entirely new. The project echoes Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) in the 1980s, popularly known as “Star Wars.” This initiative aimed to create a system capable of intercepting Soviet nuclear missiles using advanced space technologies like lasers and satellites.
SDI: A Brief History
Although SDI spurred technological innovation and reignited the space race with the USSR, intensifying economic pressure that contributed to its collapse, its technical complexity and astronomical cost made it unfeasible. Eventually, the project was abandoned after the Cold War ended.
However, SDI might have altered the world’s course: by breaking the mutually assured destruction principle, it threatened to destabilize the fragile balance of terror. Trump revives this logic in a scenario where threats extend beyond Russia to include China, North Korea, and Iran.
Emerging Threats: China, North Korea, and Iran
As more countries develop sophisticated ballistic missiles, U.S. concerns grow not only about Russia but also China, North Korea, and Iran. What types of weapons are we talking about?
Ballistic missiles can travel thousands of kilometers after leaving the atmosphere, following an arc that allows them to reach speeds up to Mach 20 (approximately 24,700 km/h). Meanwhile, supersonic (over Mach 1 or 1,235 km/h) and hypersonic (beyond Mach 5 or approximately 6,175 km/h) missiles fly at lower altitudes and can maneuver, complicating their interception. Many of these missiles, especially intercontinental ballistic ones, are designed to carry nuclear payloads.
Oreshnik Missile: From Russia to Madrid in 15 Minutes
In November 2024, the international community was alarmed by the first confirmed use of the Russian Oreshnik missile in an attack on the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. With an estimated range of 5,000 kilometers, this missile can reach speeds up to Mach 10 and carry up to six conventional or nuclear warheads.
Assuming an Oreshnik is launched from western Russia towards Madrid (approximately 3,200 km), it would take between 14 and 16 minutes to reach its target. The Golden Dome will need to rely on highly advanced detection, trajectory calculation, and interception satellites to counteract such threats.
Feasibility and Cost
Regarding the Golden Dome, proposals from the 180 companies responding to the development call will determine the technological leap needed for this planetary shield.
Financially, the figures reveal both the scale and uncertainty surrounding the project. President Trump estimates a cost of $175 billion over three years. However, Congressional projections and the Congressional Budget Office suggest a total expenditure between $542 billion and $831 billion over two decades. For comparison, the 2024 defense budget was $842 billion.
Beyond technological and cost overrun challenges, the project poses another risk that numerous experts have long pointed out: the proliferation of space debris from accidental collisions, destroyed satellites, or armament tests. The multiplication of uncontrolled objects increases the risk of cascading collisions, a scenario known as the “Kessler syndrome.” This would affect aerial and maritime navigation systems, telecommunications, weather forecasting, and even military operations.
Weaponizing Space: A New Era
Contrary to the common perception of space militarization, this project represents a deeper shift: the move towards its “armament.” Space militarization, already a reality for decades, involves using the space environment for military purposes like observation, listening, or coordinating operations. Armament, however, implies placing weapons in orbit, a threshold that would mark the beginning of a new strategic era.
This possibility contradicts the spirit—and part of the letter—of the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits the installation of mass destruction weapons beyond the atmosphere and declares that space cannot be subject to national appropriation.
Belligerent Satellites
In practice, the U.S. already dominates low Earth orbit: Elon Musk’s Starlink constellation represents more than 6,750 of the current 11,600 operational satellites. Though conceived as civilian, many of these satellites offer decisive dual-use capabilities in modern warfare, enabling secure connectivity for Ukrainian forces.
This growing U.S. presence in low Earth orbit suggests that future frontiers won’t only be drawn on maps but also in the vastness of space. Governed by the law of the strongest, space is shaping up to be the new Wild West: fascinating, promising, and terribly dangerous.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the Golden Dome project? It’s a global antimissile defense system proposed by President Trump, aiming to intercept missiles before they reach U.S. soil using a network of satellites.
- What technologies does it use? The project relies on highly advanced detection, trajectory calculation, and interception satellites.
- What are the potential challenges? Technical feasibility, cost overruns, and the risk of space debris proliferation pose significant challenges.
- How does this relate to previous initiatives? The Golden Dome echoes Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), which aimed to intercept Soviet nuclear missiles using advanced space technologies.
- What types of missiles are a growing concern? Sophisticated ballistic, supersonic, and hypersonic missiles developed by countries like China, North Korea, and Iran pose significant threats.
- What is the Kessler syndrome? It’s a scenario where the multiplication of space debris increases the risk of cascading collisions, affecting various space-dependent systems.
