Space policy of the second Trump administration

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The space policy of the second Donald Trump administration is mainly based around the Golden Dome missile defense system, expanding the commercial spaceflight industry, and returning to the Moon.

Contents

Budget

President Trump's FY26 Budget prioritizes NASA human space exploration of both the Moon and Mars, focuses on high-priority scientific research, and transitions the Artemis effort to more sustainable and cost-efficient lunar missions. While the International Space Station will continue transitioning to commercially owned and operated space station in 2030, its onboard research will be on efforts critical to the exploration of the Moon and Mars. [1]

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocated a new $10 billion for NASA. This includes $700 million for a Mars Telecommunications Orbiter (a project which had initially been cancelled in July 2005); $2.6 billion for the Lunar Gateway space station; $4.1 billion for the development of the Space Launch System rockets for the Artemis IV and Artemis V missions; $20 million for the Artemis IV Orion spacecraft; $1.25 billion for International Space Station operations throughout 2030; $325 million for the US Deorbit Vehicle; $1 billion for improvements at five NASA centers ($120 million for Stennis, $250 million for Kennedy, $300 million for Johnson, $100 million for Marshall, and $30 million for Michoud); $85 million to transfer a space vehicle to a field center that is involved in the administration of the Commercial Crew Program (aimed at moving Space Shuttle Discovery to the Johnson Space Center). [2]

While the One Big Beautiful Bill Act allocates almost $10 billion in additional funding for NASA through 2032 covering missions to the Moon and Mars, the White House proposed NASA's FY26 budget to be reduced by about 24%, and preparations were made in anticipation of these cuts. [3]

Golden Dome missile defense system

On January 27, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to build an Iron Dome Missile Defense Shield. The order tasked the Department of Defense with developing this system to counter ballistic, hypersonic, advanced cruise missiles, and other next-generation aerial attacks. [4] [5] The national missile defense initiative was renamed in February 2025 from "Iron Dome for America" to "Golden Dome for America." [6] In May 2025, President Trump announced that the Golden Dome will put U.S. weapons in space within three years, at a projected cost of $175 billion, with a focus on countering potential missile threats from China and Russia. [7] The system, with the 2028 deadline, will have four layers: one satellite-based and three land-based, with 11 short-range batteries spread across the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii. [8]

History

President Trump announcing the Golden Dome program in the Oval Office with the Secretary of Defense.

On May 20, 2025, U.S. president Donald Trump announced plans for a new space-based missile defense system called the "Golden Dome." Intended to shield the United States from long-range and hypersonic missile threats, the system draws inspiration from Israel's Iron Dome but is significantly broader in scope. [9] [10]

General Michael A. Guetlein of the U.S. Space Force has been appointed to lead the initiative. A down payment of $25 billion for Golden Dome was included in a Republican reconciliation spending bill. [11] The Congressional Budget Office estimated that it could cost between $161 billion and $542 billion over 20 years, [10] [12] while Republican Senators involved in the program predicted the end cost would be "trillions of dollars." [13] General Guetlein was officially nominated as Golden Dome's direct reporting program manager in June 2025 [14] and confirmed by the Senate in July 2025. [15] He assumed the position on July 21, 2025. [16]

While terrestrial defenses developed, the vision of a full space-based shield remained a consistent goal for its proponents. The modern groundwork for Golden Dome was laid in 2017 by the SDI's former Deputy of Technology, and prominent Team B leader [17] , Michael D. Griffin, who formed the Space Development Agency during the first Trump administration. [18] Griffin long advocated for reusable launch vehicles to make the mass launching of weapons into space economically feasible. While the original Strategic Defense Initiative's attempts at this were short-lived, with the DC-X failing after a series of test flights, Griffin later encouraged and promoted funding of commercial reusable launch vehicles, which have since proven successful. [19] [20]

During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump repeatedly mentioned the missile shield concept, often to mixed reception. [21]

In May 2025, four months after the beginning of Trump's second presidency, forty-two members of US Congress formally requested the DoD Inspector General to review Elon Musk’s involvement in Golden Dome. [22] They cited concerns over deviations from standard acquisition processes and a dome subscription model that could "give Musk undue influence over national security." Another key conflict of interest involves four-star general Terrence J. O'Shaughnessy, former head of U.S. homeland missile defense, who now reports directly to Musk at SpaceX. [23] Michael D. Griffin, founder of the Space Development Agency behind Golden Dome, has also faced scrutiny. [24] After traveling to Russia with a young Musk in 2001 to study ICBMs, Griffin steered $2 billion in NASA contracts to Musk's newfound space company. [20] SpaceX has since secured missile-tracking satellite contracts through Griffin's SDA as part of its Starshield program. Griffin also helps lead Castelion, that seeks to mass-produce hypersonic weapons. [25]

Assessment

The Arms Control Association has noted that the Putin regime has been working to ensure it can overcome the threat of a future U.S. space-based interceptor network by developing anti-satellite weapons. Beijing, meanwhile, may respond by increasing its nuclear-armed ballistic missile force. [26]

Article I of the Outer Space Treaty states that space is "the province of all mankind" and forbids placing weapons of mass destruction in orbit. Some permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have expressed objections to the Golden Dome program, citing inconsistencies with this principle. The program's use of space for attacking targets on the ground (“left of launch” preemptive strike capabilities) [27] has led to discussion over the legality under international law. [28] [29] [30]

Commercial Space Industry

In August 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry to ease federal regulations on commercial rocket launches, including licensing, environmental reviews, and permitting processes. [31]

References

  1. ↑ "President Trump's FY26 Budget Revitalizes Human Space Exploration - NASA" . Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  2. ↑ Marcia Smith (July 3, 2025). "Trump Megabill Includes Billions for Artemis, ISS, Moving A Space Shuttle to Texas And More". SpacePolicyOnline.com. Retrieved July 3, 2025.
  3. ↑ Duster, Chandelis (2025-07-26). "Nearly 4,000 NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program". NPR. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  4. ↑ "The Iron Dome for America". The White House. 2025-01-28. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  5. ↑ "Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Directs the Building of the Iron Dome Missile Defense Shield for America". The White House. 2025-01-27. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  6. ↑ Erwin, Sandra (2025-02-28). "Golden Dome replaces Iron Dome: Pentagon renames missile defense initiative". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  7. ↑ Loh, Matthew. "Trump says the Golden Dome, meant to put US weapons in space, will be ready in 3 years and cost $175 billion". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-07-27.
  8. ↑ Stone, Mike (August 12, 2025). "Exclusive: Pentagon Golden Dome to have 4-layer defense system, slides show". Reuters . Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Trump's 'Golden Dome' missile defense plan was inspired by Israel's multitiered defenses". AP News . May 21, 2025. Retrieved May 21, 2025.
  10. 1 2 Yousif, Nadine (2025-05-21). "Canada in talks with US to join Trump's Golden Dome defence system". BBC News . Retrieved 2025-05-21.
  11. ↑ Erwin, Sandra (20 May 2025). "Trump taps Space Force general to lead $175 billion Golden Dome missile defense program". SpaceNews. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  12. ↑ Tingley, Brett (May 21, 2025). "U.S. Space Force general selected to lead Trump's $175 billion Golden Dome space defense program". Space.com. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  13. ↑ Erwin, Sandra (2025-05-15). "Space Force officials say it's too early to pin down Golden Dome costs". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  14. ↑ "Secretary of Defense General Officer Announcements for June 18, 2025". U.S. Department of Defense. 2025-06-18. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  15. ↑ "PN348 — Gen. Michael A. Guetlein — Space Force, 119th Congress (2025-2026)". U.S. Congress. 2025-07-17. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  16. ↑ Albon, Courtney (2025-07-22). "The Pentagon's Golden Dome program office is hiring". Defense News. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  17. ↑ "MDA - 2014 Ronald Reagan Award Winner". www.mda.mil. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved 2025-06-11.
  18. ↑ Erwin, Sandra (2019-04-21). "Space Development Agency a huge win for Griffin in his war against the status quo". SpaceNews . Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  19. ↑ Foust, Jeff (2013-08-19). "Can lightning strike twice for RLVs?". The Space Review . Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  20. 1 2 Bennett, Jay (2020-11-12). "How SpaceX became NASA's go-to ride into orbit". National Geographic . Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  21. ↑ Hains, Tim (2024-10-24). "Donald Trump: We Will Build A Missile Defense Shield And Land An American On Mars -- "Get Going, Elon"". RealClearPolitics . Retrieved 2025-05-23.
  22. ↑ "Letter from Congress to the Office of Inspector General" (PDF). Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  23. ↑ FitzGerald, Micah Maidenberg and Drew (February 20, 2024). "Musk's SpaceX Forges Tighter Links With U.S. Spy and Military Agencies". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  24. ↑ "The Pentagon Is Recruiting Elon Musk To Help Them Win a Nuclear War". Your home for independent journalism. 2025-02-11. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  25. ↑ Erwin, Sandra (2025-01-29). "SpaceX veterans' hypersonic weapons startup secures $100 million". SpaceNews. Retrieved 2025-05-26.
  26. ↑ "Golden Dome: Doubling Down on a Strategic Blunder". Arms Control Association. 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2025-05-29.
  27. ↑ Ellison, Riki (2015-03-16). "Left of Launch". Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance . Retrieved 2025-05-24.
  28. ↑ "The Outer Space Treaty". www.unoosa.org. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  29. ↑ 高瞻. "China urges US to abandon 'Golden Dome' for global strategic stability". english.scio.gov.cn. Retrieved 2025-08-12.
  30. ↑ Deplano, Rossana (July 2023). "Inclusive Space Law: The Concept of Benefit Sharing in the Outer Space Treaty". International & Comparative Law Quarterly. 72 (3): 671–714. doi: 10.1017/S0020589323000234 . ISSN   0020-5893.
  31. ↑ Gorman, Steve (August 14, 2025). "Trump orders easing of commercial spaceflight rules, in boon to Musk's SpaceX". Reuters . Retrieved August 14, 2025.
Preceded by Space policy of the United States
2025–present		Succeeded by
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