SpaceX just got pulled into the biggest weapons program in U.S. history. SpaceX joins the Golden Dome software group, deepening its role in America's most expensive defense program. 45 seconds ago April 23, 2026 SpaceX has joined a nine-company group developing the core operating software for the Golden Dome, America's next-generation missile defense system. According to a Bloomberg report, SpaceX is focused on integrating satellite communications for military operations and is working alongside eight other defense and artificial intelligence companies, including Anduril Industries, Palantir Technologies, and Aalyria Technologies, to build software connecting missile defense capabilities. The Golden Dome concept dates back to President Trump's 2024 campaign, and on January 27, 2025, he signed an executive order directing the U.S. Armed Forces to construct the system before the end of his term. The system is planned to employ a constellation of thousands of satellites equipped with interceptors, with data centers in space providing automated control through an AI network. Space Force Gen. Michael Guetlein, director of the Golden Dome initiative, has described the software layer as a "glue layer" that would enable officers to manage and control radars, sensors, and missile batteries across services. The consortium is aiming to test the platform this summer. Discover more Trump selected a design in May 2025 with a $175 billion price tag, expected to be operational by the end of his term in 2029, though the Congressional Budget Office projected the cost could reach $831 billion over two decades. The Golden Dome role is only the latest in a string of military wins for SpaceX. As Teslarati reported, the U.S. Space Force awarded SpaceX a $178.5 million task order on April 1, 2026 to launch missile tracking satellites for the Space Development Agency, covering two Falcon 9 launches beginning in Q3 2027. That came on top of more than $22 billion in government contracts held by SpaceX as of 2024, per CEO Gwynne Shotwell, spanning NASA resupply missions, classified intelligence satellites through its Starshield program, and military broadband. The accumulation of defense contracts, now including a seat at the table on the most expensive weapons program in U.S. history, positions SpaceX as the dominant infrastructure provider for American national security in space. With a SpaceX IPO still on the horizon, each new contract adds weight to what is already one of the most consequential companies in aerospace history, raising real questions about how much of America's defense architecture will depend on a single private operator before it ever trades publicly. Discover more Electric & Plug-In Vehicles Autos & Vehicles Gene has been obsessed with cars since before he could legally sit in the front seat. Writer, researcher, unofficial CS support, accountant, native suit guy when needed, and overall stick poker. He approaches every story the way he approaches a road trip: with too much enthusiasm, not enough planning, and a surprisingly good outcome. [email protected]

ADDING MULTIMEDIA Aalyria raises $100 million to build the next-generation communications backbone of the new space age. Series B led by Battery Ventures and J2 Ventures to scale Aalyria's Spacetime orchestration platform and Tightbeam optical technology - enabling adaptive, high-throughput connectivity for next-generation satellite constellations, and commercial and defense networks. Aalyria's Spacetime responds in real time to changing network requirements, changing motion, and weather, while optimizing and continually evolving the network structure, routing rules, and resources - it can establish new links & transport in tactically-responsive timeframes. LIVERMORE, Calif.-(BUSINESS WIRE)-Aalyria, an advanced aerospace communications company whose products are critical to the next generation of space-based communications systems, today announced the closing of its $100 million Series B financing, valuing the company at $1.3 billion. The round was led by Battery Ventures and J2 Ventures, with participation from DYNE and other investors. The new funding will accelerate Aalyria's mission to make resilient, high-throughput networks in motion practical at global scale. It will expand deployment of Spacetime, a managed platform that orchestrates and continually optimizes directional networks in real time as assets move and conditions change, and Tightbeam, Aalyria's proven ultra-high-speed laser communications terminals that deliver secure, high-capacity links through the atmosphere. Together, Spacetime and Tightbeam transform land, sea, air, and space systems from isolated point-to-point links into adaptive, coordinated networks of networks. CEO Chris Taylor, CTO Brian Barritt, and others founded Aalyria in 2021 through the acquisition of two breakthrough inventions developed with over a decade of research from Google and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. "We started Aalyria to build what space has been missing: a true communications and networking layer that scales with human and market demand," said Taylor. "Every major infrastructure shift - from railroads to telecommunications to the internet - required a control plane that could coordinate complexity at scale. Space is no different - nor are the varied businesses and missions that space serves. This funding accelerates our path to becoming that ubiquitous control plane: the digital cartilage that connects thousands of independent satellites, aircraft, ships, fiber, and ground stations into a single, intelligent network that can route around failures, optimize for mission priorities, and adapt in real-time. We're not just connecting space systems - we're making space infrastructure as reliable and programmable as the Internet itself." Aalyria enables commercial and government customers to operate resilient, high-throughput networks in motion. Unlike wireless networks that broadcast widely, aerospace and defense networks are increasingly relying on narrow, directional wireless beams to deliver data faster, farther, and more securely by focusing the energy on only intended receivers. But moving vehicles, changing weather, and terrain blockages can constantly disrupt high-throughput, directional links. Aalyria's technologies solve these complexities and are widely viewed as essential for the emerging space economy. "Aalyria has built an extremely important platform at the intersection of advanced networking, AI-driven orchestration, and national security," said Michael Brown, General Partner at Battery Ventures and incoming board member at Aalyria. "The team's ability to deliver resilient, software-defined connectivity across complex environments positions the company to play a foundational role in next-generation communications architectures." Aalyria's technology is already being deployed in support of flagship commercial satellite programs, including next-generation Low Earth Orbit constellations, as well as missions for the U.S. Government and allied partners. The company's platforms are designed to operate seamlessly across multiple orbital regimes and mission types, enabling coordination between satellites, ground stations, airborne assets, and terrestrial networks. "Aalyria's orchestration and network-optimization technologies are a key performance and resiliency enabler for our Telesat Lightspeed architecture," said Dan Goldberg, President and CEO of Telesat. "Spacetime's dynamic routing, spectrum-aware resource management, and advanced link prediction capabilities will be integrated with our system design, strengthening end-to-end service delivery across our global LEO network." In just a few years, Aalyria has established itself as a critical partner across the global space ecosystem, announcing strategic collaborations and deployments with leading commercial and government organizations. The company has partnered with Telesat, Google Public Sector, NASA, Airbus, ALL.SPACE, Keysight Technologies, Logos Space, the European Space Agency, and military services and field activities in the U.S. Government, supporting next-generation connectivity, space domain awareness initiatives, and mission-critical communications programs. "We're at an inflection point where the world is increasingly connected in space: tens of thousands of satellites are launching, data volumes are exploding, and traditional point-to-point links can't keep up," said Alex Harstrick, Managing Partner at J2 Ventures. "Aalyria has cracked the code on network orchestration at scale, treating space systems as intelligent, coordinated networks rather than isolated assets. The combination of Spacetime's software intelligence and Tightbeam's throughput positions Aalyria as essential infrastructure for the next generation of space communications." Aalyria is headquartered in Livermore, California, with offices in Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, and London. Berenson & Company, LLC is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Aalyria. About Aalyria Aalyria is building the next generation space-based communications infrastructure designed for high-performance networking in complex, dynamic environments. Built on inventions originally developed at Google, Aalyria delivers high-capacity laser communications terminals and AI-powered intelligent network orchestration software that enable secure, resilient connectivity across terrestrial, airborne, and space-based systems. Aalyria supports commercial satellite operators and government missions worldwide. For more information, visit www.aalyria.com.