Latest news with #Kuiper
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Breaking the law as ..., says Elon Musk as report says Donald Trump administration seeks new partners for Golden Dome project
The Trump administration is reportedly looking for new partners for its Golden Dome project. According a report by news agency Reuters, this move by the Donald Trump administration has attracted a critical reaction from Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk , who called the action as 'breaking the law.' For those unaware, the Golden Dome project a next-generation missile defense initiative which was launched by the Donald Trump administration earlier this year. The project is designed to protect the US from different kinds of aerial threats with the help of a vast network of space-based satellites and interceptors. Donald Trump administration seeks new allies for Golden Dome project As reported by Reuters, the Donald Trump administration is actively looking for new collaborators for the Golden Dome project. According to reports, the administration is vetting companies like Amazon's Project Kuiper , Lockheed Martin , and L3Harris to replace SpaceX's role in the initiative. The report also adds that this new development comes during a time when the relationship between Elon Musk and Donald Trump is deteriorating. 'Even before the spat, officials at the Pentagon and White House had begun exploring alternatives to SpaceX, wary of over-reliance on a single partner for huge portions of the ambitious, $175 billion space-based defense shield,' reads the report. Elon Musk warning: 'Breaking the Law as…' SpaceX CEO Elon Musk reacted to the Reuters report with a post shared on X (formerly know as Twitter). 'Federal acquisition regulations require using the best provider at the best price. Anything else would be breaking the law,' wrote Musk. New contender for Golden Dome project Amazon's Project Kuiper, though behind in deployment with just 78 satellites launched, is being considered for its potential in missile tracking and communications. Apart from this, Stoke Space and Rocket Lab are also gaining traction. Defense firms like Northrop are developing space-based interceptors, while L3Harris is seeing increased demand for missile warning and tracking tech. Experts warn that integrating commercial platforms like Kuiper raises cybersecurity concerns, especially given past jamming attempts on Starlink. A fully operational Golden Dome could also accelerate the militarization of space, prompting adversaries to develop countermeasures. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Jeff Bezos could sideline Elon Musk for $175 billion Golden Dome project: Why Donald Trump is looking for alternatives to SpaceX
The Trump administration is actively seeking alternatives to Elon Musk 's SpaceX for the ambitious Golden Dome missile defence system, a project envisioned to cost around $175 billion. This shift is largely driven by a deteriorating relationship between former President Trump and Musk, culminating in a public fallout in June. While SpaceX was initially a top contender, the administration is now broadening its search for partners, including Jeff Bezos 's Amazon Project Kuiper , to reduce reliance on a single entity for such a critical national defence initiative. Deteriorating relationship between Donald Trump and Elon Musk The core reason for the search for alternatives stems from a significant souring of relations between Donald Trump and Elon Musk. This public dispute, which occurred on June 5, prompted the administration to reassess its strategy for the Golden Dome project . While the exact details of the fallout are not fully disclosed, the tension has clearly impacted SpaceX's previously strong position as a leading partner for the missile shield. Reducing over-reliance on a single partner Even before the recent public spat, officials within the Pentagon and the White House had begun exploring alternatives to SpaceX. There was a growing concern about being overly dependent on a single company, no matter how capable, for large portions of an ambitious and vital space-based defense system. Diversifying partners is a strategic move to ensure greater security and resilience for the Golden Dome project. The rise of Project Kuiper as an alternative Jeff Bezos's Amazon Project Kuiper is now being actively courted by the Pentagon to join the Golden Dome effort. Kuiper aims to deploy a constellation of 3,000 low-Earth orbit satellites, and while primarily commercial, Bezos has acknowledged its potential defense applications, such as aiding missile tracking and communications. This signals the administration's willingness to integrate commercial technology firms into national defense infrastructure, moving beyond traditional defense contractors. Other contenders and strategic diversification Beyond Project Kuiper, the Trump administration is also engaging with traditional defense giants, including Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and L3Harris, to support the Golden Dome. These companies are being considered for their expertise in areas like missile warning and tracking technologies, as well as space-based interceptors. Newer, nimbler Silicon Valley firms like Palantir and Anduril, which have ties to Trump, were also considered early frontrunners before the Musk-Trump feud reshaped the competitive landscape. SpaceX's continued role and Musk's stance Despite the tensions, SpaceX's extensive track record of launching over 9,000 Starlink satellites and its experience in government procurement mean it still holds an "inside track" for significant portions of the Golden Dome, particularly launch contracts. However, Elon Musk himself has stated that SpaceX has "not tried to bid for any contract in this regard" and that the company's "strong preference would be to stay focused on taking humanity to Mars." This indicates a potential lack of interest from SpaceX in the Golden Dome project, further prompting the administration to seek other viable partners.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Trump administration puts Amazon in frame for US missile defence contract in possible sign of Elon Musk's waning influence
It is courting Project Kuiper and big defence contractors as tensions with Elon Musk threaten SpaceX's dominance in the programme. The shift marks a strategic pivot away from reliance on Musk's SpaceX, whose Starlink and Starshield satellite networks have become central to US military communications. It comes amid a deteriorating relationship between US president Donald Trump and Mr 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 over-reliance on a single partner for huge portions of the ambitious, $175bn (€149bn) space-based defence shield, two of the sources said. SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment. Responding to a post about the Reuters story on X, Mr Musk wrote: 'Federal acquisition regulations require using the best provider at the best price. Anything else would be breaking the law.' Due to its size, track record and experience in government procurement, SpaceX still has the inside track to assist with major portions of the Golden Dome. Project Kuiper, which has launched just 78 of a planned constellation of 3,000 low-earth orbit satellites, has been approached by the Pentagon to join the effort, signalling the administration's openness to integrating commercial tech firms into national defence infrastructure and going beyond traditional defence players. Jeff Bezos, Amazon's executive chairman, told Reuters in January that Kuiper would be 'primarily commercial', but acknowledged 'there will be defence uses for these [low-earth orbit] constellations, no doubt'. A spokesperson for Project Kuiper declined to comment. The Pentagon declined to comment. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Golden Dome's ambitions mirror those of Israel's Iron Dome – a homeland missile defence shield – but a larger, more complex layered defence system requires a vast network of orbiting satellites covering more territory.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Trump's Golden Dome looks for alternatives to Elon Musk's SpaceX
The U.S. Trump administration is expanding its search for partners to build the Golden Dome missile defense system, courting Project Kuiper and big defence contractors as tensions with 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 over-reliance on a single partner for huge portions of the ambitious, $175 billion space-based defense shield, two of the sources said. SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment. Responding to a post about the Reuters story on X, Musk wrote, "Federal acquisition regulations require using the best provider at the best price. Anything else would be breaking the law." Due to its size, track record of launching more than 9,000 of its own Starlink satellites, and experience in government procurement, SpaceX still has the inside track to assist with major portions of the Golden Dome, especially launch contracts, sources say. Project Kuiper, which has launched just 78 of a planned constellation of 3,000 low-earth orbit satellites, has been approached by the Pentagon to join the effort, signaling the administration's openness to integrating commercial tech firms into national defense infrastructure and going beyond traditional defense players. Jeff Bezos, Amazon's executive chairman, told Reuters in January that Kuiper would be "primarily commercial," but acknowledged "there will be defense uses for these [low-earth orbit] constellations, no doubt." A spokesperson for Project Kuiper declined to comment for this story. The Pentagon declined to comment. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Golden Dome's ambitions mirror those of Israel's Iron Dome, a homeland missile defence shield, but a larger, more complex layered defence system requires a vast network of orbiting satellites covering more territory. In the search for more vendors for the satellite layers of Golden Dome, "Kuiper is a big one," a U.S. official said. While SpaceX remains a frontrunner due to its unmatched launch capabilities, its share of the programme could shrink, two of the people said. Officials have reached out to new entrants like rocket companies Stoke Space and Rocket Lab are gaining traction and will be able to bid on individual launches as the programme matures, according to the U.S. official. Later in the development of Golden Dome "each individual launch is going to get bid, and we have to actually give bids to other people," besides SpaceX, the official said. There is an urgent need for more satellite production. Last year Congress gave Space Force a $13 billion mandate, up from $900 million, to buy satellite-based communication services in what was widely seen as one of many efforts to stimulate private sector satellite production. Amazon's Project Kuiper, a $10 billion initiative led by former Starlink managers dismissed by Musk for slow progress, Reuters has reported, has lagged behind SpaceX in deployment. But its potential defence applications, such as communications that could aid missile tracking, have drawn renewed interest as the administration prepares to allocate the first $25 billion tranche of funding authorised under Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill. Traditional defence giants Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and L3Harris are also in talks to support Golden Dome. L3Harris CFO Kenneth Bedingfield told Reuters in an interview the company has seen a surge in interest in its missile warning and tracking technologies, which are expected to play a key role in the system. Northrop, meanwhile, is pursuing several efforts including a space-based interceptor, a component that would enable missile strikes from orbit, Robert Fleming, the head of the company's space business, told Reuters in an interview. "Lockheed Martin is ready to support Golden Dome for America as a proven mission partner," Robert Lightfoot, president of Lockheed Martin Space, said in a statement. Golden Dome's initial outreach this spring invited smaller, newer Silicon Valley firms seen as nimbler, more sophisticated and potentially less expensive alternatives to the big defence firms to the table, but that was before the Musk-Trump feud upended that calculus. Several with close ties to Trump aside from SpaceX, including Palantir and Anduril, were considered early frontrunners to win big pieces of the $175 billion project. But the Musk-Trump feud has reshaped the competitive landscape. Musk recently launched the "America Party," a tech-centric, centrist political movement aimed at defeating Republicans who backed Trump's tax-and-spend agenda. Trump launched the Golden Dome initiative just a week into his second term, pushing for rapid deployment. Space Force General Michael Guetlein, confirmed by the Senate on July 17, is set to lead the programme with sweeping authority. Under a previously unreported directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Guetlein has 30 days from confirmation to build a team, 60 days to deliver an initial system design, and 120 days to present a full implementation plan, including satellite and ground station details, two people briefed on the memo said. Hours after Reuters published its story Tuesday morning, the Pentagon issued a press release acknowledging that an architecture for Golden Dome will be "developed within the next 60 days." The inclusion of commercial platforms like Kuiper raises security concerns. Its satellites would need to be hardened against cyberattacks and electronic warfare, a challenge that has plagued even SpaceX's Starlink network. In May 2024, Elon Musk said SpaceX was spending "significant resources combating Russian jamming efforts. This is a tough problem." Beyond the technical and political challenges, Golden Dome could reshape global security dynamics. A fully operational space-based missile shield may prompt adversaries to develop new offensive capabilities or accelerate the militarisation of space. Still, established defense players like Lockheed and RTX, formerly Raytheon, will likely be at the front of the line for contracts. Executives at RTX, maker of the Patriot missile defense system, said on Tuesday they believe the system is going to be integral to Golden Dome "especially if you want to make a significant impact over the next 2 to 3 years."
NDTV
2 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Trump's Golden Dome Defense System Looks For Alternative To Musk's SpaceX
Washington: The Trump administration is expanding its search for partners to build the Golden Dome missile defense system, courting Project Kuiper and big defense contractors as tensions with 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 US 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 over-reliance on a single partner for huge portions of the ambitious, $175 billion space-based defense shield, two of the sources said. Musk and SpaceX did not respond to requests for comment. After Reuters reported initially that SpaceX was a frontrunner to build parts of Golden Dome, Musk said on X that the company had "not tried to bid for any contract in this regard. Our strong preference would be to stay focused on taking humanity to Mars." Due to its size, track record of launching more than 9,000 of its own Starlink satellites, and experience in government procurement, SpaceX still has the inside track to assist with major portions of the Golden Dome, especially launch contracts, sources say. Project Kuiper, which has launched just 78 of a planned constellation of 3,000 low-earth orbit satellites, has been approached by the Pentagon to join the effort, signaling the administration's openness to integrating commercial tech firms into national defense infrastructure and going beyond traditional defense players. Jeff Bezos, Amazon's executive chairman, told Reuters in January that Kuiper would be "primarily commercial," but acknowledged "there will be defense uses for these [low-earth orbit] constellations, no doubt." A spokesperson for Project Kuiper declined to comment for this story. The Pentagon declined to comment. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Golden Dome's ambitions mirror those of Israel's Iron Dome - a homeland missile defense shield - but a larger, more complex layered defense system requires a vast network of orbiting satellites covering more territory. In the search for more vendors for the satellite layers of Golden Dome, "Kuiper is a big one," a US official said. While SpaceX remains a frontrunner due to its unmatched launch capabilities, its share of the program could shrink, two of the people said. Officials have reached out to new entrants like rocket companies Stoke Space and Rocket Lab are gaining traction and will be able to bid on individual launches as the program matures, according to the US official. Later in the development of Golden Dome "each individual launch is going to get bid, and we have to actually give bids to other people," besides SpaceX, the official said. Need For Satellites There is an urgent need for more satellite production. Last year Congress gave Space Force a $13 billion mandate - up from $900 million - to buy satellite-based communication services in what was widely seen as one of many efforts to stimulate private sector satellite production. Amazon's Project Kuiper, a $10 billion initiative led by former Starlink managers dismissed by Musk for slow progress, Reuters has reported, has lagged behind SpaceX in deployment. But its potential defense applications - such as communications that could aid missile tracking - have drawn renewed interest as the administration prepares to allocate the first $25 billion tranche of funding authorized under Trump's sweeping tax and spending bill. Traditional defense giants Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and L3Harris are also in talks to support Golden Dome. L3Harris CFO Kenneth Bedingfield told Reuters in an interview the company has seen a surge in interest in its missile warning and tracking technologies, which are expected to play a key role in the system. Northrop, meanwhile, is pursuing several efforts including a space-based interceptor, a component that would enable missile strikes from orbit, Robert Flemming, the head of the company's space business, told Reuters in an interview. "Lockheed Martin is ready to support Golden Dome for America as a proven mission partner," Robert Lightfoot, president of Lockheed Martin Space, said in a statement. Golden Dome's initial outreach this spring invited smaller, newer Silicon Valley firms seen as nimbler, more sophisticated and potentially less expensive alternatives to the big defense firms to the table - but that was before the Musk-Trump feud upended that calculus. Several with close ties to Trump aside from SpaceX, including Palantir and Anduril - were considered early frontrunners to win big pieces of the $175 billion project. But the Musk-Trump feud has reshaped the competitive landscape. Musk recently launched the "America Party," a tech-centric, centrist political movement aimed at defeating Republicans who backed Trump's tax-and-spend agenda. Rapid Timeframe Trump launched the Golden Dome initiative just a week into his second term, pushing for rapid deployment. Space Force General Michael Guetlein, confirmed by the Senate on July 17, is set to lead the program with sweeping authority. Under a previously unreported directive from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Guetlein has 30 days from confirmation to build a team, 60 days to deliver an initial system design, and 120 days to present a full implementation plan, including satellite and ground station details, two people briefed on the memo said. The inclusion of commercial platforms like Kuiper raises security concerns. Its satellites would need to be hardened against cyberattacks and electronic warfare, a challenge that has plagued even SpaceX's Starlink network. In May 2024, Elon Musk said SpaceX was spending "significant resources combating Russian jamming efforts. This is a tough problem." Beyond the technical and political challenges, Golden Dome could reshape global security dynamics. A fully operational space-based missile shield may prompt adversaries to develop new offensive capabilities or accelerate the militarization of space.
