Defense Business and Industry

US Space Force Accelerates Boost-Phase Interceptor Tech

The US Space Force issued a Small Business Innovation Research solicitation on December 15, 2025, seeking advanced high-G propulsion systems, enhanced seekers, and low-SWaP interceptors for space-based platforms to neutralize ballistic missiles during their boost phase below 120 kilometers altitude within 180 seconds. This effort, part of President Trump’s Golden Dome missile defense initiative aiming for full operation by 2028, targets rapid acceleration exceeding 6 km/s using dual-pulse motors and thrust vector control, with recent prototype contracts awarded and a midcourse interceptor RFP released earlier in December. These developments underscore the push for scalable, manufacturable designs amid compressed detection-to-intercept timelines, prompting strategic considerations for nations like India to bolster ballistic missile and ASAT defenses in the evolving Indo-Pacific space domain.

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