US Space Force wants space-based missile interceptors for Golden Dome ready by 2028

The United States Space Force has created a new program to develop space-based missile interceptors, with the goal of being able to demonstrate their capability within two years. The U.S. Space Force established the Space-Based Interceptor (SBI) program in order to develop a constellation of spacecraft that can defend the United States against "a new generation of threats" such as hypersonic weapons , neutralizing them while in flight. The program is part of the planned Golden Dome for America defense system announced by President Trump last year. Estimates of the system's price tag range wildly, from the White House's projected $175 billion to as high as $3.6 trillion . But despite the costs, Space Force says the system is necessary to protect the U.S. in the face of an evolving defense landscape. "Adversary capabilities are advancing rapidly, and our acquisition strategies must move even faster to counter the growing speed and maneuverability of modern missile threats," said Space Force Col. Bryon McClain, in a statement announcing contracts with 12 different companies the program has tapped to help build these interceptors. …