Musk's SpaceX facilities might be taking some flak from protestors lately, but it's nothing compared to the mass mobilization of demonstrations that have given his Tesla dealerships a black eye.
That could change with his latest concept: a bid to build Donald Trump's "Golden Dome" missile defense system, for which the billionaire's SpaceX has emerged as a frontrunner, according to Reuters.
Musk's company is leading a coalition of tech corporations in the bidding, including the surveillance platform Palantir and the drone builder Anduril. The current plan is to pitch the Pentagon on a "subscription-based" missile service, where the US pays for access to armaments owned by the tech companies instead of actually owning — and ultimately controlling — the system.
Under Musk's vision, the three companies would pool their talents to launch between 400 to 1,000 satellites to circle the globe, likely surveilling foreign ballistic installations for signs of action. Meanwhile, Reuters sources say a fleet of 200 attack satellites — themselves armed with either missiles or anti-missile lasers — would bring missiles down once detected.
The Pentagon contracting out military operations is nothing new, though as Reuters notes, this deal would be a massive boost for Musk — a Silicon Valle