Flight tests of prototype missile interceptors, part of the Golden Dome program, are expected to start in 2027. The Department of War’s Golden Dome missile defense shield program is a $185 billion initiative to safeguard the nation from ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missile threats. Under the program, the Space Force awarded 12 companies $3.2 billion to develop prototypes of orbital interceptors for boost-phase, mid-course and glide-phase missile defense. The Space Force is using a competitive acquisition approach that rewards companies as they advance through testing phases. The planned demonstrations follow the first Golden Dome hardware contracts awarded by the Space Force in November 2025, marking an early step in the development of the program’s space-based missile defense capabilities.