US To Spend Over US$740 Bln On 7,800 Space Interceptors In Golden Dome System

MOSCOW, May 18 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- The United States (US) would need to deploy a constellation of 7,800 satellites costing US$743 billion over 20 years to intercept a limited raid of 10 simultaneous missiles as part of a space-based layer of the proposed Golden Dome for America air defence system, based on analysis of the system by the US Congressional Budget Office (CBO), reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti. 

The space-based interceptor layer represents the most expensive component of the Golden Dome system that CBO estimates would cost US$1.2 trillion to develop, deploy, and operate for two decades.

This space layer alone accounts for 60 per cent of the total expenditure and 70 per cent of the US$1 trillion in acquisition costs.

This total estimate significantly exceeds the US$185 billion figure cited by the director of the Office of Golden Dome for America for the system's objective architecture over the next decade.

Maintaining this coverage creates a significant financial burden due to atmospheric drag at altitudes between 300 and 500 kilometres.

This drag causes orbits to decay, limiting the service life of each satellite to roughly five years.

To maintain a constant presence of 7,800 satellites, the US would need to launch approximately 1,600 replacement satellites annually, totaling roughly 30,000 launches over 20 years.

Despite assuming future launch costs of US$500 per kilogramme facilitated by next-generation heavy-lift rockets, the average cost per satellite remains US$22 million.

According to the report, the massive size of the constellation is required because the satellites are designed to engage missiles during the boost phase, the brief window of three to five minutes while a missile's rocket motor is still burning.

Because satellites in low-Earth orbit move in bands and cannot remain fixed over specific launch sites, thousands of units are necessary to ensure that enough interceptors are always positioned close enough to a potential launch to reach the target before the boost phase ends.

Beyond the space-based layer, the remaining costs of the Golden Dome system include a combination of surface-based defences and tracking infrastructure.

CBO estimates that 35 regional sectors would cost US$187 billion over 20 years to provide terminal defence against cruise and hypersonic missiles, while three upper wide-area surface sites and four lower wide-area surface sites would add US$46 billion and US$29 billion, respectively.

Additionally, a separate satellite constellation for tracking targets would cost US$90 billion over two decades, with another US$92 billion allocated for general research, development, and system integration.

-- BERNAMA-SPUTNIK/RIA NOVOSTI