On May 20, President Donald Trump launched the Golden Dome missile defense initiative. I was in college when President Ronald Reagan launched the Strategic Defense Initiative—initially mocked by ...

Contextual background on the Reagan-era Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as "Star Wars," was drawn from historical accounts and U.S. policy analyses of the 1980s Cold War arms race.

The Strategic Defense Initiative, labeled “Star Wars” by critics, was a missile defense program proposed by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 to shield the United States from nuclear attacks.

The Strategic Defense Initiative, which has come to be known by its mocking nickname, “Star Wars,” was never operational, and it was all but canceled years after Reagan left office.

On May 20, 2025, President Donald Trump announced plans to construct the “Golden Dome,” a multibillion-dollar missile defense system that would utilize space-based weapons and satellites to ...

Explore President Trump's $1T 'Golden Dome' defense initiative. Learn how modern tech and private industry aim to revolutionize U.S.

Contextual background on the Reagan-era Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as "Star Wars," was drawn from historical accounts and U.S. policy analyses of the 1980s Cold War arms race.

Contextual background on the Reagan-era Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as "Star Wars," was drawn from historical accounts and U.S. policy analyses of the 1980s Cold War arms race.