The U.S. Space Force selected Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory to serve as the Technical Direction Agent for the Space-Based Interceptor program on July 31.
The selection marks a major acquisition milestone for a program the White House has described as a generational national defense priority, moving the concept of space-based missile interception from planning into active development, according to the Space Force.
The SBI program is expected to be one of the largest and most technically complex defense programs of the decade. The concept envisions a constellation of interceptors positioned in orbit capable of destroying incoming ballistic missiles during their boost phase, before they can deploy multiple warheads or decoys.
Johns Hopkins APL, based in Laurel, Md., has a decades-long history of serving as a technical adviser on the Defense Department’s most sensitive missile defense programs. As Technical Direction Agent, APL will provide engineering oversight and systems integration expertise for the program.
President Trump has made the Golden Dome initiative a signature defense priority, describing it as essential to protecting the American homeland from ballistic missile threats posed by adversaries including North Korea, China, and potentially Iran.
The program faces significant technical challenges, including the difficulty of placing interceptors in orbit at scale, maintaining them, and demonstrating reliable kill capability against sophisticated missile threats. Specific cost figures were not included in the Space Force announcement.