Former Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. (ret.) Henry “Trey” Obering III said Golden Dome’s space-based elements will require an on-orbit logistics system if the architecture is to remain viable over time. In an interview with Breaking Defense, Obering described servicing, refueling, repositioning, resupply and deorbit as capabilities that could extend the useful life of selected spacecraft and reduce reliance on launching replacements.
The argument comes as missile defense planners face a wider range of threats than the ballistic missiles that dominated Obering’s tenure at the MDA. He said the architecture must now account for hypersonic missiles, maneuvering warheads and potential fractional orbital bombardment systems, alongside ballistic missiles. He also pointed to the increasing sophistication of drone attacks in the Middle East and in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Obering said advances in sensors, processing power, algorithms, mesh communications, artificial intelligence, machine learning and manufacturing, combined with lower launch costs, have made space-based missile defense more feasible. Golden Dome is intended as a layered architecture linking multiple systems, including terrestrial and space-based sensors and interceptors.
He identified command and control, battle management and fire control as the architecture’s most important integration risks. Obering recalled that connecting an Aegis SPY radar with the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense fire-control system in Alaska and California took time. Golden Dome would require coordination among a larger set of sensors and interceptors across ground and space systems.
Space-based interceptors could provide earlier engagement opportunities and global tailored coverage, Obering said, but scaling and affording them remains a challenge. He argued that on-orbit logistics should be considered as part of the architecture rather than treated as an optional addition after spacecraft are deployed.
Historically, high launch costs encouraged designers to build “exquisite systems” intended to operate for long periods without servicing, Obering said. Lower launch costs have changed that calculation, in his assessment. For some missions, particularly satellites at higher altitudes, repeatedly refueling a constellation could cost less than launching entirely new spacecraft to replace them. The choice would depend on the mission, constellation, altitude, orientation and the pace of available technology.
That does not mean every satellite should be serviced. Obering said smaller spacecraft in proliferated low Earth orbit could be easier to replenish through launches. For those systems, inspection, maneuver and deorbit services may make more sense than life extension or refueling. The relevant comparison is whether a service extends a spacecraft’s life economically or whether replacement is the better option.
Servicing also has to be designed into spacecraft from the start. Obering said future systems could need standardized mechanical, electrical, data and refueling interfaces, along with accessible locations for replacing line-replaceable units. He compared the concept with aircraft refueling receptacles and cited the International Space Station, where standardized interfaces allow visiting spacecraft to connect.
Obering said the government should establish demand for these capabilities while allowing industry to develop the specific standards and systems. That approach, he said, would let companies work together on the interfaces and services needed by Golden Dome. The immediate design issue is therefore not simply whether satellites can be serviced, but which spacecraft and missions justify the added interfaces and logistics infrastructure.