🛰️ Trump$TRUMP Boots SpaceX from Golden Dome Project — Amazon Steps
In a shock defense shakeup, former President Donald Trump$TRUMP has officially dropped Elon Musk’s$BTC SpaceX from the heart of the $175B Golden Dome missile shield — and is tapping Jeff Bezos’ Amazon as the new cosmic knight.
🚨 White House Fallout Reshapes Space War Strategy
This seismic move follows the very public breakup between Trump and Musk on June 5. Insiders say the Pentagon was already uneasy about SpaceX’s growing grip on U.S. military communications — now that unease has turned into cold, hard policy.
With SpaceX sidelined, the DoD is opening the floodgates to new players, front and center: Project Kuiper, Amazon’s satellite dreamchild.
🌌 Musk: "We Never Bid" — But Still in Orbit?
Elon isn’t taking it lying down. On X, he fired back: “SpaceX never bid” on Golden Dome, claiming Mars remains the mission. Still, industry sources say SpaceX won’t vanish entirely — its Falcon 9 and Starship systems are still unmatched for launch ops.
📡 Bezos’ Kuiper Goes Military
Don’t be fooled by Kuiper’s modest constellation — only 78 of 3,000 birds launched — the Pentagon sees serious defense potential. Think Iron Dome, but continental. Earlier this year, Bezos admitted: “Kuiper will have defense applications.” Now it’s real.
Legacy giants like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and L3Harris are also in the mix. But newcomers like Rocket Lab and Stoke Space are now eyeing slices of the once-SpaceX-dominated pie.
💰 Pentagon: "No Monopolies"
“We’re bidding every launch,” a top Pentagon official told Reuters. Translation: no more kings. Expect cutthroat competition for every layer of this orbital shield — not just over the U.S., but likely allied nations, too.
Northrop is building space-based interceptors
L3Harris is doubling down on missile-tracking tech
Lockheed says they’re “ready to serve”
⚔️ Politics Meets Propulsion
SpaceX’s downgrade isn’t just technical — it’s political. Elon’s new “America Party”, designed to disrupt Trump-aligned Republicans, may have lit the fuse. Early frontrunners like Palantir and Anduril, once close to Trump, are reportedly being benched.
But the project marches on. General Michael Guetlein, confirmed July 17, is leading the charge under Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth’s directive. Deadline: 4 months to lock in the entire system blueprint.
🛡️ Cyberwars in Orbit
Whoever wins the satellite layer gig — Amazon, or a dark horse — must harden against cyberstrikes. SpaceX has proven its mettle, recently deflecting Russian jamming efforts. Bezos’ Kuiper will need similar backbone.
Global eyes are watching. A real-time orbital missile shield could redraw power maps and force rivals to fast-track their own space weapons.
🎯 RTX, Raytheon & The Bigger Boom
Execs at RTX (f.k.a. Raytheon) say their Patriot missile systems will likely anchor Golden Dome’s surface-tier defenses, at least for the next 2–3 years. The fusion of mega defense budgets and Silicon Valley innovation is rewriting how the U.S. gears up for high-tech threats.