USSF, Space-X agree to billions in Golden Dome technology development

Screengrab from video showing the Falcon 9 launch of the CAS500-2 mission to low-Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. (SpaceX)

US Space Force (USSF) and Space-X inked a total of USD6.3 billion in programme development deals in May for a pair of service-led initiatives deemed critical to the US Department of Defense's (DOD) Golden Dome missile defence effort.

Issued by USSF's Portfolio Acquisition Executive (PAE) for Space Based Sensing & Targeting (SBST) via other transaction authority (OTA) agreement, Space service leaders granted USD4.1 billion to Space-X to develop the service's Space-Based Airborne Moving Target Indicator (SB-AMTI) system, according to a 29 May announcement.

That OTA deal came three days after PAE SBST agreed to finance USD2.29 billion for Space-X's development of the Space Data Network (SDN) Backbone, a 26 May USSF statement said.

Both deals came as USSF called for a total of USD2.28 billion in research, development, testing and evaluation (RDT&E) funding, as part of the space service's fiscal year (FY) 2027 budget plan. The FY 2027 RDT&E requests for SB-AMTI and SDN “were initiated ... within the Golden Dome for America account”, according to budget documents.

Submitted to congressional lawmakers in April, USSF budget officials requested a total of USD803 million in research, development, testing and evaluation (RDT&E) funding for SB-AMTI. The majority of that FY 2027 RDT&E request — USD663 million — would be set aside to expand the current SB-AMTI development effort, FY 2027 budget documents stated.