Elon Musk‘s SpaceX and Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR) could play a crucial role in building U.S. President Donald Trump‘s Golden Dome missile defense system.
What Happened: In a report published by Reuters on Thursday, the news agency cites six people who are familiar with the matter saying the bid by Musk’s SpaceX, Palantir, as well as drone manufacturing startup Anduril, emerged as ‘frontrunners’ for the project.
However, the report also suggests that despite the ‘positive signals’ to SpaceX, the decision process was still at a nascent stage. The companies met with officials in the Trump administration in the past few weeks to discuss the bid.
In the meetings, the companies have shared their plans for building anywhere between 400 to 1000 satellites, which will track global missile movements. There would also be a separate fleet of 200 ‘attack’ satellites, the report said.
Sources cited in the report also suggest that SpaceX has offered its role in the operations as a subscription service, rather than the government owning the technology outright, though officials remain skeptical about the same.
According to the report, SpaceX is eyeing the ‘custody layer’ of the operation, which involves satellites tracking missiles. Sources say SpaceX suggests it could cost anywhere between $6 billion to $10 billion to develop these satellites.
Musk’s team isn’t the only party involved, as there are many players eyeing up the contract. Officials in the report suggest the Pentagon has received interest from over 180 companies. The likes of Boeing Co (NYSE:BA), RTX Corp (NYSE:RTX), Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT), and more are also expected to be a part of the process. Some experts anticipate that the system could cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
Why It Matters: The news comes in as Palantir has experienced a surge in value after the company successfully closed a deal with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) for its AI-driven software, which finds applications in key military operations.
Elsewhere, Musk’s SpaceX continues to lead the private space exploration sector after it completed the Falcon 9 rocket’s 27th launch and landing operation from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Musk’s company has received over $5.9 billion worth of contracts from the U.S. Space Force
The company also deployed 27 additional Starlink satellites to its constellation, bringing the total number of low Earth orbit satellites to well over 7,000. Starlink is now available in over 100 countries across the globe.
However, Musk’s DOGE finds itself amid a new controversy as a whistleblower alleges that the department was given wide-ranging access to the sensitive data of the U.S. government’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Price Action: PLTR is currently trading for $92.71 on the NASDAQ, having experienced a 23.30% YTD increase in value, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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