The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is expanding its search for partners to build the Golden Dome missile defense system, courting Amazon's Project Kuiper and big defense contractors as tensions with billionaire Elon Musk threaten SpaceX's dominance in the program, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
The shift marks a strategic pivot away from reliance on Musk's SpaceX, whose Starlink and Starshield satellite networks have become central to U.S. military communications. It comes amid a deteriorating relationship between Trump and Musk, which culminated in a public falling-out on June 5.
Even before the spat, officials at the Pentagon and White House had begun exploring alternatives to SpaceX, wary of overreliance on a single partner for huge portions of the ambitious, $175 billion space-based defense shield, two of the sources said.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.