(Bloomberg) — Satellite startup Impulse Space is working with Anduril Industries Inc. to develop space-based interception technology for U.S. President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense shield, according to people familiar with the matter.
The companies were selected by the Pentagon to develop prototype space interceptors designed to track and destroy missiles from orbit, said the sources, who requested anonymity because the information is confidential. Impulse Space would act as a subcontractor for Anduril in this technology, which does not yet exist.
Space-based interceptors are a central but still unproven component of the Golden Dome project, which seeks to protect the United States and possibly other countries with layers of defense systems reaching from the ground to space.
The contracts and their recipients are one of the few indicators of how the Pentagon is moving forward with Golden Dome, which has remained shrouded in secrecy since Trump signed an executive order establishing the project more than a year ago.
In November, the U.S. Space Force said it had awarded multiple contracts, each worth less than $9 million, to unnamed companies to develop prototypes of the technology. Although the values are relatively modest, those selected will be able to compete for larger production contracts after demonstrating their capabilities, said one of the sources.
Led by Tom Mueller, founding member and number 1 employee of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Impulse Space develops spacecraft capable of transporting satellites between different orbits, known in the industry as “space tugs”. The company, based in California and founded in 2021, has already signed contracts with other government customers, such as the National Reconnaissance Office, Space Systems Command and NASA.
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The joint work between Anduril and Impulse Space signals a deepening of the partnership between the two companies, which already collaborate on the development of highly agile spacecraft for national security missions.
Anduril’s involvement in the development of space interceptors was previously reported by Reuters. Impulse Space’s participation had not been disclosed until now.
Impulse Space, Anduril and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump’s Golden Dome project is expected to cost US$185 billion and demonstrate operational capability by 2028, according to statements made in March by General Michael Guetlein, the military officer responsible for the initiative.
Critics say budget and schedule constraints make the project overly ambitious, especially given the development of a network of space-based interceptors.
These interceptors are considered the most technologically complex and likely most expensive aspect of Golden Dome, as they would require the U.S. to produce, build, and launch hundreds or thousands of armed spacecraft into orbit, in addition to research and development costs.
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