meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The John Batchelor Show

S8 Ep326: ELON MUSK AND THE GOLDEN DOME DEFENSE PROPOSAL Colleague Henry Sokolski. Sokolski evaluates Elon Musk's proposal to create a "Golden Dome" missile defense system for the US. While the concept involves space-based sensors, Sokolski notes concerns regarding

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

Books, Society & Culture, News, Arts

4.62.7K Ratings

🗓️ 17 January 2026

⏱️ 9 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

ELON MUSK AND THE GOLDEN DOME DEFENSE PROPOSAL Colleague Henry Sokolski. Sokolski evaluates Elon Musk's proposal to create a "Golden Dome" missile defense system for the US. While the concept involves space-based sensors, Sokolski notes concerns regarding monopoly power, the reliance on a single contractor for national security, and the undefined costs of ground-based interceptors. NUMBER 10
1953 captured Mig-15

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hiring isn't just about finding someone willing to take the job.

0:03.5

You need the right person with a right background who can move your business forward.

0:07.4

If you want candidates who match what you're looking for, trust Indeed sponsored jobs.

0:12.3

And listeners of the show will get a 100-pound sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves at Indeed.com slash broadcast. Just go to

0:22.3

Indeed.com slash broadcast right now and support this show by saying you heard about Indeed on

0:27.6

this podcast. Indeed.com slash broadcast. Terms and conditions apply. Hiring, do it the right way

0:34.4

with Indeed.

0:57.7

I'm John Batchel with my good colleague Henry Sikolsky, who introduces me into doubt all the time.

1:01.9

And we were dealing with doubts of the electric grid.

1:05.0

Now we deal with doubts of a fellow called Elon Musk.

1:12.0

If I understand this news item, Henry, has Musk offered to be Golden Dome or has somebody offered it to him?

1:21.8

I can't. That's a terrific question. I'm not sure I capable of answering, which it is, but the bottom line is he is proposing to make the protection in the United States possible through his agency

1:31.9

and that we would buy the service of protection via the Golden Dome and his various satellites

1:41.7

from him, much as we would subscribe, let's say, to Starlink.

1:47.5

Well, that's what we're doing now, isn't it?

1:49.3

I mean, I see that Ukraine says without Musk, we would not have had communication the first

1:56.3

years, if not now.

1:57.5

And there's a new item, although I don't entirely trust the reporting, that it was

2:02.4

Starlink that was pushed into Iran either before or during the protest. And it's been one way to

2:08.8

get it out. And that the Chinese or the Russians or someone has been using industrial military

2:14.7

strength jamming of the Starlink, and it's invariously successful.

2:19.8

So Musk is already serving a national defense public role. So wouldn't Golden Dome be an

...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 26 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from John Batchelor, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of John Batchelor and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.