Tech companies race to prove hypersonic tracking for missile defense in “Golden Dome” project

Tech companies including Varda Space Industries, Anduril, and LeoLabs are conducting advanced demonstrations of hypersonic tracking technology as they compete for contracts in President Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense project. The ambitious defense system would require capabilities to intercept fast-moving rockets and missiles that no military currently possesses, creating a lucrative opportunity for aerospace and AI companies to showcase cutting-edge solutions.

What you should know: Varda Space Industries successfully demonstrated real-time hypersonic tracking capabilities in a May test that could be crucial for missile defense systems.

• More than 100 employees watched as the company tracked a capsule traveling at over 18,000 miles per hour, with partners in Australia providing coordinate updates every few minutes.
• The capsule landed “on target” exactly where Varda’s calculations predicted, proving the company could successfully track and calculate trajectories of hypersonic objects from space within minutes.
• The demonstration involved collaboration with Anduril, an AI weapons company, and LeoLabs, an aerospace firm.

The big picture: Defense tech companies are racing to develop technologies that could theoretically intercept hypersonic missiles, rockets, or drones—capabilities that represent a significant gap in current military arsenals.

• No military currently has the ability to track and intercept such fast-moving objects, according to defense officials.
• The “Golden Dome” project represents a hypothetical defense system that would require unprecedented technological precision and coordination.

Technical challenges: The complexity of hypersonic interception demands multiple advanced capabilities working in perfect coordination.

• “The benchmark for success is daunting,” said Will Bruey, Varda’s chief executive. “Pulling this off requires not just technical precision to move the vehicle in orbit, but also tracking it and reporting it.”
• Companies must demonstrate they can simultaneously track objects, calculate trajectories, and coordinate interception within extremely tight timeframes.

Competitive landscape: Multiple tech companies and defense startups are conducting similar demonstrations to position themselves for potential Golden Dome contracts.

• The convergence of AI, aerospace, and defense technologies is creating new opportunities for companies that can integrate these capabilities effectively.
• Success in these demonstrations could determine which companies secure lucrative government defense contracts for this ambitious project.