A significant strategic signal has recently emerged from Washington. With the signing of a new executive order aimed at ensuring American space superiority, the United States made clear that space is no longer viewed as a distant scientific frontier but as a core domain of national power. The order frames space superiority not merely as a technological ambition but as a measure of national vision, strategic will, and long-term leadership.
The roadmap outlined in the order is concrete and time-bound. It calls for the return of American astronauts to the Moon by 2028, the establishment of a permanent lunar outpost by 2030, and the development of next-generation missile defense capabilities extending beyond the atmosphere into low Earth orbit and the cislunar domain.
Alongside these security objectives, the administration has set ambitious economic goals, including the replacement of the International Space Station with commercial platforms and the attraction of tens of billions of dollars in private investment into the American space economy.
Taken together, these directives send a clear message: Space is becoming a central arena where security, economic growth, and geopolitical influence converge. For Israel, this moment demands careful attention. The question is not whether Israel seeks symbolic space missions of its own but whether it intends to be a meaningful partner in shaping the emerging space ecosystem or whether it risks remaining on the sidelines as others set the rules.
Security: From Iron Dome to ‘Golden Dome’
The most immediate and consequential dimension of the executive order lies in security. The US has directed its defense establishment to develop capabilities capable of detecting and neutralizing threats not only within the atmosphere, but across orbital layers and into cislunar space.
The president’s conceptual framing of an “Iron Dome for America,” often referred to as the “Golden Dome,” signals a transition from tactical missile defense to a global, multi-layered protective architecture.
For Israel, this shift represents both continuity and opportunity. The state’s experience in air and missile defense, culminating in the operational success of Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow, has demonstrated how defensive technologies can evolve into strategic assets. Their performance under real-world conditions has elevated Israeli defense systems from battlefield tools to trusted components of allied security planning.
As the US looks to expand defensive coverage into space, it is actively seeking proven capabilities in sensors, radar, lasers, artificial intelligence (AI), and command-and-control integration. Israel possesses deep expertise across these domains.
Integrating Israeli technologies into the emerging “Golden Dome” architecture would enhance American capabilities while reinforcing a strategic partnership built on interdependency and shared security interests.
Economy: Private enterprise as the engine of space power
Beyond security, the executive order reflects a clear economic philosophy. The American administration has identified the private sector as the primary engine of growth in space. By prioritizing commercial solutions, flexible contracting, and private investment, the US aims to accelerate innovation while reducing reliance on legacy government infrastructure.
This approach carries important lessons for Israel. While global projections estimate the space economy will reach trillions of dollars in the coming decades, Israel’s civilian space investment remains limited. Other small nations have already enacted regulatory frameworks designed to attract capital, talent, and entrepreneurship into space-related industries.
As a country renowned for its innovation ecosystem, Israel is well positioned to participate in this economic transformation. Doing so, however, requires deliberate policy choices, including regulatory clarity, investment incentives, and mechanisms that connect institutional capital with space ventures. Space must be treated not only as a security domain, but as a national economic project.
Geopolitics: The Moon as a strategic outpost
The geopolitical implications of the American roadmap are profound. A sustained presence on the Moon and in cislunar space is not merely a scientific endeavor; it is a strategic statement. Infrastructure, supply chains, and operational standards established beyond Earth today will shape access and influence for decades to come.
The executive order emphasizes alliances and partnerships as central to maintaining collective security in space. Countries integrated demonstrated participation in lunar logistics, space-based defense systems, and orbital infrastructure will play a role in shaping norms and rules.
Those absent from these frameworks risk marginalization as the architecture of space governance takes form.
For Israel, participation does not mean duplicating American ambitions, but identifying areas where Israeli capabilities, such as robotics, autonomous systems, AI, secure communications, and advanced materials can become indispensable components of a broader allied value chain.
What must Israel do?
In light of the American executive order, Israel faces a strategic choice. It has the technological foundations to engage meaningfully, but must act with focus and urgency.
First, Israel should seek structured integration into emerging space-defense architectures, including the conceptual “Golden Dome.” A formal strategic partnership in this area would leverage Israeli expertise while deepening security cooperation with the US.
Second, Israel must modernize its regulatory and legislative framework for civilian space activity. A comprehensive civilian space law addressing licensing, liability, insurance, and commercial participation would unlock private investment and enable Israeli companies to compete globally.
Third, Israel should define a national “moonshot” project, not as a standalone mission but as a flagship technological contribution to international programs such as Artemis.
Whether in autonomous operations, AI-driven systems, quantum communication, or space cybersecurity, Israel must position itself as a partner delivering unique and critical capabilities.
Looking beyond the horizon
The American executive order underscores that space is no longer a peripheral arena; it is a central pillar of national power where security, economic growth, and geopolitical influence converge.
For Israel, the imperative is not to replicate American ambitions, but to understand that relevance in the space domain will increasingly shape diplomatic standing, strategic partnerships, and long-term national interests. Nations that contribute meaningful capabilities to space-based security and commercial ecosystems will help define the emerging order.
The space-related domains highlighted in the executive order, from launch capabilities to space-based defense, communications, and orbital infrastructure, require sustained national investment in infrastructure. This is a core responsibility of the government with benefits that extend beyond diplomacy to economic growth, national power, and strategic relevance.
This discussion coincides with Israel Space Week, commemorating Ilan Ramon and the crew of the Columbia.
Alongside this legacy stands the work of Rona Ramon, who devoted her life to education and leadership development inspired by space exploration. She consistently emphasized that space is not only about reaching new heights but also about cultivating responsibility, curiosity, and a commitment to shaping the future.
Her work reflects a deeper truth that remains highly relevant today: National achievements in space, like national power, depend not only on technology and infrastructure, but also on long-term investment in people, education, and vision.
As Israel looks toward the next phase of its role in the space domain, this perspective offers guidance and instills urgency.