Geographic distances no longer provide the United States with the protection it enjoyed throughout most of its history. Intercontinental ballistic missiles, long-range drones, and hypersonic weapons can overcome the natural barriers that once made reaching U.S. territory extremely difficult. According to the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, North Korea has developed intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the continental United States, while China and Russia together possess nearly 900 missiles in this category.
In this context, President Donald Trump issued an executive order in 2025 calling for the development of a comprehensive missile defense system inspired by Israel’s Iron Dome, naming it Golden Dome for America. The system is expected to use satellites and advanced sensors to detect, deter, and destroy ballistic and hypersonic missiles heading toward the United States.
But the greatest challenge may not be inventing the required technologies, but providing the industrial capacity needed to build and operate the system on a large scale and within a short timeframe.
An Integrated System, Not a Single Weapon
Golden Dome is not a standalone solution, but rather a “system of systems” comprising multiple layers. These layers include constellations of space-based platforms capable of tracking missiles and distinguishing among targets at launch, interceptor missiles based in space, at sea, and on land, and directed-energy systems such as high-power lasers for intercepting missiles during the boost phase, in addition to integrating artificial intelligence to accelerate the connection between sensors and engagement systems.
General Mike Guetlein, director of Golden Dome for America, said during an event in April that the project represents a decisive response to a new era of threats and aims to build a multilayered, integrated, and automated shield. However, realizing this vision requires large quantities of equipment, materials, and components—not merely a successful technical prototype.
What Is Missing from the U.S. Industrial Base?
According to Matt Magana, president of the space, defense, and national security division at Voyager Technologies, the United States already knows how to manufacture most of the elements the system needs. However, its manufacturing capabilities have declined as a result of decades of consolidation and offshoring, weakening its ability to manufacture at the scale, speed, and cost required.
Gaps are evident in vital products such as solid rocket motors, electronic components, and chemicals used in propulsion. Magana believes the core problem is not a lack of innovation, but a shortage of infrastructure that enables critical equipment to be manufactured when needed and in the required quantities.
This issue is becoming increasingly important in the space sector because the Golden Dome design relies heavily on assets already in orbit. The vision includes autonomous, artificial-intelligence-enabled satellites capable of precise maneuvering, low-signature observation, and secure data processing in orbit.
From Large Satellites to Large-Scale Constellations
The approach outlined in the article points to a shift in how space capabilities are built: instead of relying on a limited number of large satellites, the mission is moving toward deploying larger numbers of small satellites. This approach makes it possible to distribute functions among more numerous assets, but it also requires increasing production volumes and investing in facilities and supply chains capable of scaling as the mission expands.
Here, reducing the cost of space solutions becomes part of the operational requirements, rather than a separate commercial objective. Large constellations need recurring production, available components, and supply chains that do not break down as demand increases.
“New Prime” Partnerships
The approach proposes a set of measures to support a resilient and sovereign defense supply chain, including long-term contracts, multiyear funding, and predictable procurement cycles. These mechanisms give suppliers greater confidence to invest in new facilities, develop the workforce, and automate production.
However, according to Magana, rebuilding the industrial base cannot be carried out by the government alone. What is needed is a collaborative ecosystem bringing together traditional major defense companies, commercial space companies, technology startups, and universities through partnerships that deliver mutual benefit.
The approach cites the commercial Starlab space station, jointly developed by Voyager Technologies, Airbus, Mitsubishi, MDA Space, and Northrop Grumman, along with other entities. This model provides an example of combining the capabilities of multiple companies to provide a space capability for the United States, NASA, and international allies, in less time and at lower cost than a project undertaken by a single entity.
The importance of this model lies in the fact that Golden Dome requires expertise, products, and infrastructure that no single company can provide alone. Its success may therefore depend on creating “new prime” partnerships that unify capital and industrial and technological capabilities around a shared mission, rather than merely funding a defense system without addressing the manufacturing foundation that will build it.