Space-based missile defense illustration. Credit: L3Harris

WASHINGTON — As the Pentagon races to define the future of missile defense under its ambitious Golden Dome initiative, industry leaders point to what could be the most daunting obstacle facing the program: it’s not the hardware. It’s the data.

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Sandra Erwin writes about military space programs, policy, technology and the industry that supports this sector. She has covered the military, the Pentagon, Congress and the defense industry for nearly two decades as editor of NDIA’s National Defense...